Unanticipated
by Ms Kitten
Summary: When Pete showed up that night sex was the furthest thing from his mind... How season one could have gone... AU Violet/Pete
1. Yet, here you are

Disclaimer: I do not own Private Practice or the characters within, they are creations of Shonda Rhimes and I am simply borrowing them for my own entertainment.

Author's Notes: This is what happens when you go through every Violet/Pete scene (and outtakes from scenes) in chronological order. And seeing Pete show up at Violet's door step at the end of 1x07 and then see them show up at the office together in 1x08, well, my imagination took over...

This is definitely not a one-shot, my mind stretches way beyond that, so hold on for an AU alternative to tide you over this summer while we all hold hands and hope Shonda fixes the mess next season. I don't expect to like the upcoming finale...

As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. And to the rest of you I say enjoy (and review, please).

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><p>After Cooper leaves, it takes Violet a while to recover from what in her mind has to be the most humiliating rejection known to man. As if it wasn't awkward enough undressing in front of her best friend, he had to make things worse by turning down her completely naked body. Damnit, she <em>has<em> good parts. And this is _Cooper_, he jumps into the sack all the time with women he doesn't even know, women who later on rob him blind with him handcuffed to the bed, leaving it to Violet to come to his rescue. And he actually turns _her_ down?

Humiliated and sexually frustrated, Violet steps into the shower, letting the steady stream of hot water wash over her body, willing herself to forget how many months it's been since she last had a man in her bed. It's too humiliating that there hasn't been anyone since Alan, since she was dumped out of the blue after a nearly three year long relationship only to meet him with his new barely-out-of -diapers wife just six months later. She felt pathetic standing next to young, perky and perfectly made up Cami, wearing her casual jeans and hoodie, no make-up, hair thrown up in a messy bun and glasses instead of her usual contacts; a look that only makes it past her front door when she has a quick errand or two. She never felt as undesirable as in that moment, topped only, perhaps, by tonight.

Towel-drying her messy curls and throwing on a simple tee and cargo pants, Violet heads back downstairs. Trying to push the humiliation out of her mind, her new plan for the night involves a cup of spiced tea and Jane Austen. However, halfway up the stairs again there's a knock on her door.

"Cooper, not now," she thinks out loud. That's the last thing she needs, Cooper coming back the same night to make nice. Can't he give her at least one day? One day to regain some dignity before she has to face him and work her way past his rejection?

"I can't," she begins, but stops the minute she realizes it's not Cooper that's on the other side of the door, "Pete?" While he stops by her office all the time, both during and after hours, this is one of a handful times where he's actually shown up at her house.

He smiles and shrugs awkwardly, "Sorry it's so late."

"Well, what's wrong?" At the back of her mind she can recall him mentioning earlier having plans with Addison tonight. She really hopes that isn't why he's here. It's bad enough to tackle the rejection from one guy, but having to hear about another one's love life…

Pete hesitates, "When she died… Anna and I… had been trying…"

Knowing how unwilling Pete is to talk about his late wife most of the time, Violet appreciates the fact that he seeks her out to do it. "To have a baby?" she clarifies.

"Yeah," he nods.

She steps aside and lets him in. He plops down on her couch, like he would in her office; so casual, yet so significant at the same time. For a moment she thinks back to her first session with him, where he deflected her every question and talked around his issues. He's come a long way since.

"So, what made you think about it?" she asks, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"Susan," he replies, referring to their patient that day, "I used Anna's death as a way of relating to her pain of losing Jason, and she said some things, about burying our pain. And then handing her the baby… I mean, I see babies all the time, but this time it was… different…"

"Because it made you think about what could have been?"

Pete smiles sadly, "Anna and I never had what Susan and Jason did, not even close. I didn't even like her most of the time, but still… sometimes I think about it…"

Violet shrugs, "Well, that's normal, we all have something in our past we would like to change or wonder how could have gone differently."

"What is yours?"

"I thought we were talking about you, tonight," she replies, teasingly.

"Don't we always?" he asks, referring to the way their friendship is based primarily on him seeking her input, "And aren't you tired of focusing on everyone else's problem all the time?"

There are many crossroads in Violet's past, many of which are too painful or too private to discuss. Maybe it's not fair to expect Pete to share his innermost thoughts without giving something in return, but then again she is the therapist out of the two. While it's been many years since Pete was her patient, she assumes the reason he seeks her counsel is rooted in their original dynamic, no matter how reluctant Pete was back then.

She ransacks her mind for something, anything that she can share that won't lead to any heavy or overly personal discussion. She thinks back to her childhood, quickly ignoring anything and everything that has to do with her parents, "Well," she says, "At one point in my life, I seriously considered becoming a teacher, I even majored in it my first year at college… much to my mother's annoyance," she adds, chuckling.

"What made you change your mind?"

Just like that her mind drifts to one fateful night her sophomore year, and the long and hard recovery that followed. It's not something she wants to revisit, _ever_, "Things happened," she shrugs, hoping it looks casual enough, "My eyes were opened up to the pain that can suddenly befall upon anyone of us, and… I just wanted to do my part…"

She doesn't know if he buys it or if he simply respects her wishes not to talk about it, but he nods in understanding either way. "I think that's probably why anyone of us chose to be who we are."

"Speaking of the practice," she changes the subject, "I thought you had plans tonight…"

"I thought you had plans, too," he counters.

"Yet, here you are…"

"Here I am…"

Violet chuckles and shakes her head at his cryptic response. Pete wouldn't just show up at her doorstep like this, considering his promise of a hot date somewhere else, unless there's something more bothering him than just dredged up memories of Anna. Either the hot date didn't go as planned, or Pete didn't go. Either way she can tell there's something on his mind; something she can tell she will have to pull out of him, "What happened?" she asks in all simplicity, "Why are you here and not with Addison?"

Pete sighs, "Addison is… great, but… she wants commitment and a relationship, and she thinks she can change me… that if she just puts in the time and effort I will come around, and she doesn't realize that that isn't going to happen… If I had gone over there tonight I'd either be fooling her or fooling myself, maybe both…"

"Do you reckon the problem is Addison, and what she wants from you? Or is it you and your failure to commit?"

"A little bit of both?" They both chuckle and Pete shakes his head, "I realize that Addison is a catch, she turns your head when she walks past you and when you get closer you see that there's a whole lot more to her than the way she looks. I know she deserves someone who can commit to her, but something about her still has me revert into a fourteen year old boy. And even though I know I shouldn't I still try to talk her over to my side of things."

"Well, it's in human nature to want everything we can't. It's the whole forbidden fruit concept. The less available something, or some_one_ is, the more we want it. Just look at how I handled the whole Alan debacle… the less available he became to me, the harder I chased him. He moved on and got married and I just… kept stalking him…" Violet shakes her head, "My point is, maybe the problem is that you want each other _because_ you are unavailable to one another, at least in the capacity that you both want. She wants a real relationship, while you don't want any form of attachment."

"…you're good."

Violet chuckles, "At least in something," she shrugs. It's a bit harder accepting a compliment when the rejection from earlier keeps ringing in her head.

Pete looks at her, sees that not everything is alright, "What happened… with you and Cooper?"

Violet groans. The last thing she wants is to recant her evening, but then again it's only fair that she reciprocates. Tit for tat in a manner of speaking, "Well, I wasn't stood up," she quips, hoping to joke away the humility she feels.

"Violet," Pete looks at her and she can see the genuine concern in his eyes. It's still an embarrassing story to tell and she hesitates for more than a few minutes.

"He passed on me," she finally says, "I stood naked in front of him, like a… peeled banana, while he overlooked my best parts… and then he passed on me…"

"I'm sorry," Pete says, and it's genuine, no smirk, no laugh, no nothing. He puts his arm on the backrest behind her, wordlessly offering her somewhere to lean. She takes him up on his offer, rests her head on his shoulder and feels his arm close around her. It's comforting, "Cooper's an idiot for passing on you…"

"Does that mean you're an idiot, too?" she quips.

His upper body shakes slightly as he chuckles, "No, I'm the ass who can't commit…"

"Just because you don't want the same thing that Addison does, it doesn't make you an ass."

"It does when I'm the one standing her up…"

"In the long run you'd probably be worse off if you had gone tonight," she shrugs.

"Maybe it's the same with you and Cooper," Pete suggests.

Violet smiles slightly, "It's not the fact that Cooper turned me down that's bothering me… it's the way he did it. Waiting until I was completely bare, making it seem as though there was something about me and my body that turned him off…"

"…that's crazy," Pete interjects.

"I know," Violet sighs, "I _have_ good parts. I have _great_ parts."

"You do," Pete agrees.

Violet doesn't hear it right away and continues to ramble, "I'm a desirable woman. There's no reason a straight man should ever…" suddenly realizing what Pete just said, she looks up at him, "…I, uh, what..?"

Confused by the compliment, she loses her train of thought and just stares at him, not taking in how close proximity his lips are to hers or how he seems to be getting closer and closer. He cups her face with his available hand and then their lips meet in a brief, but electric kiss.

Not realizing she's doing it, she wets her lips, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. He leans in for another kiss and this time she instinctively parts her lips, urging him to continue. Her hands cup his face and she feels his fingers running through her still moist hair.

She knows it's probably a bad idea, that this is Pete, sleeps-with-anything Pete. But it's been far too long, and besides, casual sex was what she was looking for in the first place. And she trusts Pete, trusts him to always be upfront and honest with her, trusts him not to make a big issue out of it. His lips move down her jaw line to her neck and she lets out a moan as he hits just the right spot. _Damn_ the man's a good kisser.

His hands slip underneath her shirt, pulling it upwards as they travel up her back. She didn't put on a bra after her shower and realizes the minute that shirt is pulled over her head she will be fully exposed to him. Normally that is not really a problem for her, but with the night's earlier events, it's admittedly a little scarier than usual. He's not in a hurry though and the hemline rests slightly above her navel for a while as his hands explore her soft skin, his lips recapturing hers.

Violet lets go of his face and allows herself to explore his body the same way. She knows he works out, but _damn_ she didn't expect him to be so… toned. He's all muscles, and not in an overdone, bulging way either. He's just right. She tugs his shirt upwards and through the corner of her eye she spots a tattoo. She'll have to ask him about that someday.

They wordlessly agree to pull apart, so they can remove both shirts. She smiles when she notices the appreciative look on his face as he takes in the sight of her. That is exactly what her confidence needs right now. And she can't help but bite her lip when taking in the sight of his well-toned upper body. _Damn_, she can't get over those muscles…

Their bare chests crash together as their lips meet once again, their hands roaming more freely this time. It's not until his mouth wanders down her neck that she realizes they're still in the middle of her living room. "You know," she says breathlessly, "I do have a bed…"

* * *

>Violet breathes out in sheer contentment as her body recovers from her orgasm. Is her recent dry spell messing with her head? Because she can't remember sex ever being this… <em>wow<em>. She hears Pete breathing heavily next to her and for the moment allows her brain to take it as a compliment.

"I needed that," she admits, feeling oddly truthful in the moment.

"You want to go again?" he asks, suggestively.

Violet laughs out loud, "Give me a couple of minutes, first, will you?" It's oddly freeing this whole sex without emotional attachment. Maybe it's the orgasm talking, or maybe Pete is onto something. Every relationship she can remember, no matter how exciting at first, only led to pain and heartbreak in the end. This however… well, she doesn't really have any basis for comparison, but it feels right, feels safe and exciting at the same time.

"So, no regrets?" he asks.

She can't help but laugh again; right now she feels positively euphoric, "Are you kidding? I should've done this a long time ago…" Her laughter is infectious. Pete runs his hand through her hair and pulls her in for a languid kiss.

Hands begin to roam and the kisses turn heavier as he pulls her flush against him. She's going to be so sore in the morning…


	2. I don't want complicated

Author's Notes: A slightly shorter update this time, not because I don't have a lot more written (because I do), but that's how the scenes fit. Some will be longer, some will be shorter. Enjoy and please provide feedback. As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk, love you, hon!

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><p>Violet hopes it doesn't look too conspicuous the way they arrive at the practice together, Pete still wearing his clothes from last night. Wordlessly heading into opposite directions, Violet barely remembers to say hello to Dell as he hands over her patient files for the day. With Naomi already in place in her office, Violet opts to head there, seeing as the kitchen seems to be temporarily occupied by the guys. Cooper's rejection from last night may not be stinging as much anymore, but she still feels awkward facing him, and she really can't do that in front of Pete. It'd be too much of a distraction, her mind already wandering to the many delicious ways he kept her up last night…<p>

For a fraction of a second she considers telling Naomi about what happened, but then Addison comes stomping in, announcing, "I need ten minutes with Naomi…"

She realizes she probably should grant her this wish considering everything that happened last night, but at the same time Violet resents the way she seems to have been pushed aside by Naomi ever since Addison moved here. Naomi was _her_ friend first… okay, maybe not in the grander scale of things, seeing as Naomi knew Addison back in med-school, but in Violet's world it feels a bit like her territory is being trampled all over. "I was here first," she responds, "And the guys are occupying the kitchen, so I don't exactly have anywhere to go…"

"You have an office," Addison begins, then stops herself, "I'm sorry, that came out wrong… I just need a moment with my best friend. I have… stuff…" she finishes lamely.

"And I don't?" Violet counters, glancing towards the kitchen where the two men currently responsible of complicating her life are staring back. Cooper averts his eyes the minute he sees her watching. Pete holds her gaze for a few seconds… and her mind wanders right back to memories of last night… Her inner beast has finally come out of hibernation and all she can think about is getting another fill…

Seeing her flush, Addison asks concerned, "Is everything alright?"

Having watched the whole display, Naomi decides to put the record straight, pointing to Violet, "She slept with Cooper," pointing to Addison, "She slept with Pete."

Both women instantly turn their heads, "She didn't sleep with Cooper/Pete," they say in unison, then turn to each other, "How did you know that?"

Seriously? _Addison _knows what didn't happen between Cooper and her? "There are no secrets around here," Violet grumbles, sinking into an available chair.

"I _know_," Addison exclaims.

"Oh, there are secrets," Naomi disagrees, "I mean, I didn't know. Wow, neither one of you," she looks between Addison and Violet as she takes a seat as well, "Really? I didn't know. That's all I'm saying…"

"Pete literally stood me up," Addison exclaims, "I don't get stood up. I'm Addison, which… _means_ something… in places where things mean… things…" she deflates into a nearby chair, "It was humiliating…"

"At least you weren't naked," Violet points out, willing the tinge of guilt she feels about Pete to the back of her mind. She shouldn't feel guilty. While maybe as far as the practice is concerned Addison might have some kind of claim on Pete, he made it pretty clear last night that he isn't interested in being claimed. And besides, they are adults, making an adult decision about doing adult things… together… She realizes her mind is trailing off yet again as she sees both women looking at her with raised brows, expecting her to follow up, "Cooper waited until I was completely naked before he decided he didn't want me…"

Naomi visibly winces.

"Okay," Addison concedes, "That is worse… But still, why when I finally get onboard on doing things his way… sort of… does he go and do this? I don't get it!"

Violet feels compelled to say something, but realizes at the same time with everything that's happened that she might be a bit too close to the situation. Not only did Pete say what he did in confidence, but it's not going to reflect on her well should this thing with her and Pete get into the open, which experience tells her it will… at some point… Secrets never last long in this place.

Addison looks in the direction of the kitchen, "They're _still_ there. _Great_, how am I supposed to get my coffee? I need my coffee…"

"Can we skip the morning meeting," Violet asks. She'd rather put off seeing Cooper as long as possible, and she's not sure how she'll handle being in Pete's presence with her recently awakened libido.

"There is no morning meeting," Naomi informs them both.

"Thank you," Violet sighs in relief.

"…because Charlotte King is coming by to walk us, _all of us_," Naomi stresses, "through the Safe Surrender Program."

_Crap_, so much for avoiding the men in her life…

"That's today..?" Addison asks with a similar _oh crap_ expression on her face, "…I signed up with Pete…"

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><p>"Hey," Pete announces his presence in her doorway, "You're still here…"<p>

"I had some files to catch up on," Violet shrugs. To be honest she's putting off going home just in case Cooper wants to talk, which he generally does if a date goes poorly or he needs someone to bail him out of a sticky situation. If he calls her cell, and he's really in trouble, _fine_, she will take care of it, but for anything else she wants to have every excuse available to her.

"Want some company?" he asks, the wriggle of his brows tells her he's not just talking about the ordinary kind… the family friendly kind.

"What about _Safe Surrender_?" Violet asks, "I thought you and Addison were on baby saving duty tonight…"

"Well Addison has gone on a date with that patient of yours…" _Oh crap, Trunk_. "…and I'm certainly not going to tag along to that. I have the cell here if anyone calls and as long as it's loud enough for me to hear, well… You interested?"

Violet cocks her brows, "I really hope you don't plan on using me as a replacement whenever Addison has a thing."

Pete sighs and sits down next to her, "I thought we came to some kind of an understanding about that last night…"

"Well, we did, but…" Violet sighs, "Listen, I'm all for sex without attachment, but if you're going to keep moping over Addison, then frankly I'd rather keep out of it… It complicates matters, and…" she shrugs, "I don't want complicated…"

"I don't either," Pete agrees.

"Okay," Violet nods, "So we agree, no moping, no substituting… This is just about you and me, and feeling good…"

"Feeling _great_," Pete corrects, luring a smile out of her, "So, how about it?"

"We're in the _office_," Violet reminds him.

"The blinds close," Pete points out…


	3. You come with food, now?

Author's Notes: Writing groove is temporarily down because of exams coming up, but here's at least a chapter to tide you over. Hope to hear from as many of you as possible how you like this story. Many things planned, several tings written ;)

I want to extend my gratitude to my faithful beta, Mediatorsk and also use this opportunity to wish her a happy birthday!

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><p>Violet cocks her brows in amusement when she sees the Chinese takeout bag in Pete's hand, "You come with food, now?" She's beginning to get used to finding Pete at her door every night. Normally they end up in some kind of heated embrace before the door even closes. She still has marks from earlier this week when they didn't even make it out of her foyer and she found herself pressed up against her own front door. This however, is the first time where he's actually brought food for the two of them to consume.<p>

Pete shrugs, "I was hungry, figured maybe you were, too." She steps aside to let him in and he drops the bag on an empty chair, taking out the containers one by one and spreading them out all over her living room table.

"Did you buy out the whole place?" Violet jokes, commenting on the fact that he seems to have brought enough for four or five people.

Pete chuckles, "Just covering my basis, I didn't know what you might want…"

Choosing a container of Kung Pao Chicken, Violet sits cross-legged on one end of the couch, while Pete enjoys his pork and rice at the other end, "So, how are you and Cooper doing on that parenting class?" she asks, referring to her best friend's initiative to hold a parenting class for first-time dads. Violet, of course, volunteered her time and expertise on the spot, but Cooper shut her down without much consideration and she can't help but think it's somehow all linked up to their friends-with-benefits fiasco.

Realizing what she's really asking about, Pete sighs and shakes his head, "Don't tell me you and Cooper are _still_ not talking…"

"Hey, I'm all for talking; he's the one who keeps avoiding me now. To be honest it's getting a bit ridiculous," Violet takes another bite of chicken, "After all," still chewing, "it was _he_ who rejected _me_ in the most humiliating way known to man; why is _he_ holding a grudge?"

"I thought we weren't going to mope over other people," Pete reminds her, "That was your rule, remember?"

"I'm not moping," Violet insists, wondering why Pete is so bothered by this, "I'm honestly wondering why my best friend won't talk to me."

"You'll have to ask him that," Pete shrugs.

Violet rolls her eyes, "Kind of hard to do when he's not talking to me in the first place…"

"Well, you have to figure that one out on your own. Any involvement from me is just bound to make things worse…"

"Why? Because we're sleeping together? Let him know," Violet shrugs, taking another bit of her chicken, "I'm not ashamed…"

"And you don't think Cooper is going to have a problem with that on the night you two were supposed to hook up, we did instead?"

Violet can't help but laugh, "You make it sound like I dumped him and then ran to you… He made it clear he didn't want me, so why should he care who I then choose to sleep with?"

Pete wisely chooses to keep his mouth shut. For someone as observant as Violet, she's rather oblivious when it comes to her best friend and his obvious feelings for her.

"Maybe you should apologize," he suggests in between bites.

Violet frowns, "What do I have to apologize for?"

Pete shrugs, "Maybe he's feeling awkward about the whole thing. An apology might break the tension and let you guys go back to normal…"

She considers it, "Maybe, I guess it's worth a try…"

"Now, are we done talking about Cooper?"

Violet chuckles, still not seeing what the big deal is, "Then, what do you want to talk about?"

"Who said anything about talking..?"

Smirking, Violet places the container back on the table and slowly moves over to the other end of the couch. Flinging one leg over his lap, she cups his face as she kisses him. His hands are in place almost immediately, first at her waist and backside; then they are entangled in her hair, tilting her head slightly to the right as he deepens the kiss.

They're getting to a point where they're slowly learning about each other's likes and dislikes. Now he knows she's ticklish on the insides of her thighs and that her sweet spot is located about half an inch above her collarbone, and she's learned how sensitive his earlobes are to her touch. Violet has also discovered that Pete has another tattoo, located on the inside of his right ankle; the sword of Damocles, to always remind him of the high stakes that comes with being a doctor. She assumes he had it done before he switched to alternative medicine, and she's still waiting for him to explain the one located on his hip.

Violet's also discovered a couple of scars she didn't know Pete has. There's one behind his right calf, one right below his left knee and one on his back, right underneath his right shoulder blade. Not all of them are that easy to spot, and Violet somehow doubts they are the only ones. There's something mysterious linked to these scars it seems, like there's a story she has yet to learn.

Pulling her shirt over her head, Pete flips them over so that she's lying on her back with him on top. He kisses down her jaw, to her neck, hitting that spot as his hand moves her right bra strap over her shoulder and down. Grateful that he's wearing a button down shirt for once, Violet begins to unbutton his shirt one by one… 

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><p>"That is the <em>worst<em> runway walk I have ever seen… She's not fierce, eliminate her!"

At some point they seem to have moved off her couch, her very soft and very comfortable couch to the floor. Sitting on one of the cushions Pete's back is rested against the couch with Violet situated between his legs, both of them enjoying leftover Italian take-out. Not bothering to get properly dressed after their latest sexcapade, Pete is only in his shirt and boxers while Violet is wearing one of her worn down college t-shirts, purposely bought several sizes too big. It's the shirt she usually throws on when moving out of her bed in the middle of the night and it was the closest thing within reach.

"I still can't believe _this_ is how you like to spend your evening," Pete shakes his head in disbelief, at the same time seizing the opportunity to sneak himself to some of her noodles.

"Hey," Violet playfully swats his hand away, "if you intend on having sex tonight, you'd do wisely not to mock my favorite pastime…"

"Have sex again, you mean," Pete teasingly reminds her, nibbling on her collarbone and eliciting a moan from her, "and besides, _you're_ mocking it…"

"Correction; I am mocking wannabe stick figures stumbling down the runway like they're Bambi on ice, _you_ on the other hand, are mocking _me_…" turning her attention back to the television, "Oh, _come on_, she just tripped over her _own_ feet!"

Slightly horrified by Violet's choice of entertainment, Pete can't help but laugh at her outbursts. Usually so caring and understanding, this show is really succeeding in bringing out Violet's mean side.

"Hey, how did that apology thing work out for you?" Pete suddenly realizes it's been almost a week and he's yet to hear the outcome, "Are you and Cooper talking again?"

"Cooper isn't even allowed to _call_ me when the models are walking, what makes you think I want to _talk_ about him right now?"

"But you are back on speaking terms, right?"

"Yes, we're all good," Violet quietly chuckles, "I actually think he might have met someone. He's being all mysterious and secretive…"

"As in _met_ met or as in adult chat room met?" Pete inquires.

Violet shrugs, "Who knows, it's Cooper we're talking about… but I've yet to get a mayday from him, so that's a good sign at least…" Pete finds her nonchalance oddly comforting.


	4. What the hell?

Author's Notes: Closing in on the exam now, going to be so relieved come Wednesday, when I am done with the exam and can go back to focusing on my writing. The following chapter is one of my favorites, I had so much fun writing it. Enjoy, and please tell me your favorite bits, if you do, I'll tell you mine ;) As always, major thanks to Mediatorsk for betaing, love ya, hon! And a little shoutout to my friend, gilmoregirl1979 who despite not watching PrP had some very helpful suggestions for this chapter :D

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><p>"Oh, hi…" there's a hint of surprise to Violet's voice when she opens her front door.<p>

Pete takes in her homely appearance, "You expecting someone else?" he quips. Violet is in another one of her ragged t-shirts, her hair is up in a messy bun and she hasn't bothered to put in her contacts yet, it seems. It's a complete contrast to what he sees when they're around Oceanside. In a way it's like he's beginning to see the real Violet, the woman she is when she's not playing up to her professional duty to look neat and tidy all the time.

"I wasn't really expecting anyone," she nods down to her attire, as if to say 'isn't it obvious?' She steps aside to let him in.

"Not even Cooper?" Pete finds it odd how little time the two usually inseparable best friends have been spending lately.

Violet shakes her head, "He called last night, said he'd be busy. Didn't say what, but I assume it has something to do with the mystery girlfriend. I can't believe how tightlipped he's being about this one; I mean he usually tells me _everything_."

"Because you tell him everything these days," Pete hands over the pizza he brought so he can remove his shoes and jacket.

"Okay, fine, point made," Violet concedes, taking the box with her into the living room and placing it on her coffee table, pushing her open laptop over to the corner. The dining table is currently occupied with several loads of laundry, some of it folded, and some of it still in the basket waiting to be folded, "But if he _asked_ I would tell him. It's like he's ashamed of her or something…"

"Or maybe he's still figuring things out and doesn't want another opinion in the mix until he's ready?" Pete suggests, suddenly noticing a familiar pair of jeans and some other things belonging to him freshly washed and neatly folded on one of the chairs, "You did my laundry?"

Violet turns her head and frowns, "Oh," she realizes, "I was so busy getting it all done earlier, I didn't even notice that some of it was yours."

"I'm sorry, I meant to take them with me, apparently I forgot…"

Violet shrugs, "Didn't really require any extra effort on my part. Besides, you're here most of the time anyway. The way I see it, you'd take them home to wash only to bring them right back here."

He can't really argue with that as he has taken to spending more time at her place than his own, "Well, then I hope you're hungry," he nods to the pizza.

"Starving, actually," Violet opens the box and arches her brows in surprise, "No olives this time?"

Pete shrugs, "Well, you always pick them off."

"And here I thought I was being discreet about it…"

Grabbing a slice of his own, Pete finally notices the exotic traveling destination in the open browser on Violet's computer, "You going somewhere?"

"Just researching for now," Violet shrugs, "Bonus time is coming up…"

"Oh," there's a sinking feeling in his chest as he recalls their usual bonus traditions. Last year Violet and Cooper headed off to San José for a week and he invested his share in a new motorcycle, "So where are you and Coop headed off to this time?"

"I don't know… to be honest I'm not sure Cooper wants to go anywhere this year. Maybe it's time to break tradition… not go, or maybe go on my own for once… I'm still deciding…" she changes tabs in the browser, "I kinda like this place, though, listen to this;" she reads out loud from the site, "_Imagine an island, a small, perfect island, with coral sands and balmy air; ultimate beach luxury with warm white sands and clear turquoise seas, an unspoiled, natural haven of absolute privacy and peace, and discover that this is no hazy dream… it is Mnemba…_"

"Maybe I could go with you," Pete suggests.

Surprised by the sudden offer, Violet turns and looks at him, "You serious?"

He shrugs, "I could always use a vacation, and you and I could certainly come up with _fun_ things to do together…" he caresses her thigh to illustrate his point.

Cupping his face with both hands, she leans in and kisses him. One of his hands go straight to her hair, the other pulls her into his lap. They forget that they're starving, forget that there's a large load of laundry yet to be folded and put away, forget that the door is unlocked…

"What the _hell_!"

The couple spring apart at the sudden third-party outburst and turn around to see Cooper in the doorway, looking at the both of them like he can't fully believe what he's seeing.

"Maybe you should go," Violet whispers.

"What?" Pete can't believe what he's hearing. What happened to 'not being ashamed' or 'let him know'?

"I need to talk to Cooper alone…" Violet realizes right away how that sounds, but there's no time to explain…

"_Fine_," Pete scoffs, "I'll get out of your hair…"

Violet sighs as she watches Pete leave, inwardly cursing Cooper for his horrible timing. She should have just told Cooper the first chance she got, should have let Pete stay and defend this alongside her… should have _locked_ that _damn door_… Now she's antsy and everything's a mess, "Thought you said you had plans today…" It's lame, but it's a start.

"Never mind that," Cooper quickly dismisses, "You and _Pete_?"

"It's just sex, it's no big deal," Violet insists.

"Oh, no," Cooper shakes his head, "That was not just sex that I just walked in on… I don't even know _what _that was…"

Violet rolls her eyes, "It's called kissing, generally considered to be a prelude to sex…"

"Violet," Cooper scoffs.

"Sorry, but you're being silly…"

"It's _Pete_, Violet," Cooper stresses, "Disastrous-at-relationships Pete? He's run off two of our colleagues already; forgive me for not wanting to see you go as well…"

"It's not a relationship…" Violet tries to explain.

"Pants!" Cooper points to the folded up pair of men's jeans on the chair, his eyes then goes to the basket and again he points, "boxers! _Boxers_, Violet!" His eyes going wide, he suddenly turns on his heel and storms up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Violet calls after him.

"_Toothbrush!_" Cooper bellows from the upstairs bathroom, then re-emerges holding the evidence; Pete's cerulean toothbrush, "Does he have his own drawer yet, or is that next?"

"I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of this," Violet shakes her head, "So he keeps a toothbrush here and a change of clothes. He spends the night, it'd be too much hassle having to go home to shower and get changed every morning… It's more practical."

Cooper then notices the computer, "You're planning a _vacation_ together…?"

Violet can't exactly dispute that, "I-it's not what you think, Coop."

"You share meals, you plan holidays, you do his _laundry_," he stresses, "he keeps a toothbrush here and I walk in on you making out… and I'm supposed to think this is _just sex_?"

"And I suppose you don't share lip to lip contact with any of the women you've hopped into bed with," Violet rolls her eyes. This is getting ridiculous.

"You were _on_ his _lap_," Cooper points out, waving the toothbrush, "How long?"

"How long was I on his lap?" Violet is slightly confused. Normally she's pretty good at following Cooper's thought process, but right now he's sprinting ahead of her and she's struggling to see past the dust clouds he's leaving behind.

"How _long_?" Cooper repeats, "How long have you and Pete _just had sex_?"

"Four-five weeks," Violet shrugs.

"_How _long?" he asks yet again, and Violet realizes the question never was about the specific amount of time, but rather a specific date.

"Since that night," she concedes.

The look Cooper gives her is one she's never seen before, one that she can't decipher. Not saying another word, he turns around and walks out the door. It's not until she hears it slam behind him that Violet realizes Cooper never handed over the toothbrush…


	5. Thought I'd come here for a change

Author's Notes: So I hope to be back to regular update intervals again, I will be working a lot this summer, but that shouldn't prevent me from getting some writing done, let's hope my muses stick with me, lot's of plans ;) Enjoy, review and as always, major thanks to my wonderful beta, Mediatorsk ;)

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><p>It's a very surprised, very confused Pete that opens the door when she knocks, "Violet?" This is the first time since their first tryst that she's come seeking him out.<p>

She gives him a slightly nervous smile, "Thought I'd come here for a change…"

"What are you doing here?" He doesn't seem angry, more like guarded.

"Well, you and Coop have been avoiding me for the past week. Now, with Cooper, there isn't really anything I can say or do to get him to talk to me, he'll come around when he comes around. But you…" she sighs, "I'm sorry, Pete, that I asked you to leave. It wasn't that I wanted you to go; I just had to deal with Cooper on my own... Obviously that didn't go too well," she chuckles slightly and shakes her head.

Pete nods, but otherwise he doesn't say anything.

"So, we didn't get our bonus checks," she quips, "…I guess that means no Mnemba… I have something for you though. They were out of blue, I'm afraid."

Pete frowns in confusion when Violet holds up a small pharmacy bag, opening it he can't help but chuckle as he fishes out the green item, "A toothbrush?"

"It's a long… well, not really a long story, but certainly a weird one; Cooper kind of stormed out with your toothbrush… I don't think he meant to, he was just sort of holding it when he found out when exactly you and I hooked up …"

Pete's brows are arched as he tries to make sense of what Violet just told him.

"Now," Violet continues, "I don't know if you'd still want to keep it at my place, but I figured either way I owed you a new one… I have something else for you, too."

She hands him another pharmacy bag, this time he fishes out a yellow toothbrush.

"This one's for me," Violet explains, "I'm not really all that fond of pink. But I like yellow, my house is yellow… I figured if you still want me around, I could maybe keep this one here…"

Pete smiles and steps to the side to allow her entry.

"Oh, and here's my extra change of clothes," Violet holds up a slightly larger bag.

The minute the door closes behind her, his lips meet hers and he wraps his arms around her waist. Her bag of clothes drops to the floor as she responds to the kiss, cupping his face with one hand, caressing the nape of his neck with the other. They stumble backwards through the living room and into the adjoining bedroom, falling onto the bed. For the first few seconds she's lying on top, but then he flips them over and starts kissing his way downwards…

* * *

><p>Pete is up at the crack of dawn, the sun rays peeking in through the blinds being enough to render him wide awake. Rolling over to his side, he's actually surprised to find Violet still deep asleep. Running his hand through her loose curls and kissing her temple, he hears a faint groan from her, but finds no other sign of her stirring.<p>

Deciding he has time for a morning run, he pulls on a light shirt, a pair of shorts and his running shoes. He takes his usual route alongside the river, then up the trail and through the park. Usually he tries to make it five or six miles, but realizing he probably needs to wake Violet up when he gets back, today he settles for just under four. It's still refreshing though; the light breeze helps cool down his perspiring body.

Closing the door behind him and quickly stepping out of his shoes he calls out; "Violet?" Pete pulls his sweaty shirt over his head and heads to the bedroom to wake her. He finds the covers thrown to the side and hears sounds coming from the bathroom across the hall.

He finds her freshly showered, a medium sized towel wrapped around her body as she sits on the edge of his bathtub, shaving her legs, "Is that my razor?" he asks.

"Yeah, sorry," she winces guiltily, "I kinda forgot to bring mine… hope that's alright, I mean if it's a problem I can always get you a new one…"

"No-no, that's fine" he shrugs. Admittedly he'd rather she didn't take his razor, but it's just a minor annoyance. He drops the shirt and shorts to the floor and steps into the shower. When he's done the razor is back on the shelf and Violet, still in her towel, is brushing her teeth.

Stepping away from the sink to give him room to shave and brush his own teeth, Violet frowns as she inspects her body in the full length mirror next to the bathtub. She pinches various parts, turns from side to side, inspecting her profile, "We need to stop ordering so much take-out… is it just me or does my ass look bigger to you?"

"How am I supposed to know with the towel wrapped around you?" he teases, earning himself a playful slap on the arm as she pulls the towel off, showing off her gorgeous body. Pete can't say he sees that much difference, maybe she's a tiny bit curvier, but he doesn't exactly see that as a bad thing.

Determined to show her exactly what he thinks of her curves, he rests his hands at her waist as he leans down and kisses her, first her lips, then her jaw, then her neck and collarbone. His hands move down to cup her ass. She responds by wrapping both arms around his neck. Pete takes the opportunity to pick her up and places her on top of the counter. His towel falling to the floor, he steps between her legs and resumes kissing her lips…


	6. I'll take my chances

Author's Notes: Today is the wonderful Amy B's birthday, and coincidentally today my new nephew was born, that's gonna make remembering birthdays _so_ much easier, lol! What better way to celebrate such a wonderful day by posting another chapter? Enjoy and please review, and as always major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk!

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><p>Violet doesn't look all that well when she opens the door. Her skin is pale and glistening, and she looks completely exhausted, "Tonight's not a good idea," she greets him, wrapping the snuggy closer around her body.<p>

"You okay?" he asks, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead, she's clammy but not really that warm.

"I was fine earlier," Violet insists, "I think I might've caught the flu from one of Coop's kids, 'cause when I came home all hell broke loose…"

"You and Cooper are on speaking terms again?"

"Oh, no," Violet shakes her head, "He's still mad..." Her cheeks turning a pale shade of green, she holds a hand in front of her mouth, "Ugh… you need to get out of here, trust me… you do _not_ want to catch this…"

She breathes deeply and closes her eyes, willing the nausea to subside, but soon loses her battle and speeds off to the nearest bathroom. Almost instinctively Pete follows and finds her with her head in the toilet, gagging. Dropping to his knees next to her, he gathers her hair with one hand, holding it away from her face and gently strokes her back with the other, waiting patiently by her side as she empties the content of her stomach into the bowl.

Finally getting her gag-reflex under control, Violet slumps against him on the floor. Pete wraps his arms around her and holds her while she regains the energy required to get up, "Have you eaten anything?" he asks.

"Not since lunch," she shakes her head, "Right now I can't bare the thought of food…"

"You need to eat something," Pete reminds her, placing a light kiss to her temple, while continuing to stroke her upper arm and back.

"I know, I know…" Violet groans, resting her head on his shoulder.

They stay like this for a few minutes, not saying a thing. Eventually Violet lifts her head off his shoulder and meets his gaze.

"You should go…" there's some reluctance in her voice, though, "The longer you stay, the bigger the chance you'll catch this, too…"

"I'll take my chances," Pete shrugs, "Besides; someone has to get you some soup…"

A miserable groan escapes her lips, "I despise soup…"

* * *

><p>He finds her close to dozing off, her head leaning heavily on her elbow, "You okay?" he asks, startling her.<p>

"Yeah-yeah…" she rubs her eyes with both hands, leaning back in her chair, "Long day," Violet yawns, "I have this draining case… mother and teenage son; dad just died, family dog wound up dead and the mother thinks the boy had something to do with it…"

"So you're thinking sociopath?" Pete guesses.

"I don't know yet," Violet shrugs, "I gave him the MMPI, but it's inconclusive. I want to do a comprehensive clinical evaluation, but the boy isn't talking… and his mother's hanging on by a thread; she broke down in my office when I couldn't give her definitive answer… She came to me to get a prescription for sleeping pills, and I can't help but feel I exacerbated the situation by insisting on getting to the root of the problem."

Pete sighs and shakes his head, "I think you're being a bit hard on yourself. Sounds to me the situation was pretty dire to begin with, helping the woman gain a few more hours of sleep without fixing the underlying cause wouldn't have changed anything in the long run…"

"But if I don't find any answers, I won't be changing anything anyway… At least before she got _some_ sleep…"

Violet's eyes flutter shut, two seconds later she jerks her head up. Shifting around in her seat it seems she's actively trying to force her body to stay awake.

"Speaking of sleep," Pete says, "You should get some, that bug you had last week might not have completely left your system."

Flattered by his concern, Violet gives him a smile, "I've been keeping down solids for three days straight, now," she reminds him, "I'm fine. It's just been one of those days; the case, Sam breathing down my neck about the consults, Naomi turning to me now that she and Addison are on the outs…"

"And Cooper?" Pete wonders.

"Still the same," Violet shrugs, "He's keeping busy with the mystery girlfriend and otherwise spends his day avoiding me in every way possible… And you know what? I've had enough. I already apologized once for that night, I'm not apologizing for us as well. If he wants to act like petulant child, then so be it; I'm done. I'll be here for when he decides to actually start acting like a grown-up."

Pete can think of a few quips to follow her rant, but deciding they probably are a wee bit on the mean side, he wisely decides to keep them to himself. Not that Violet would've heard any of them anyway as she seems to have nodded off yet again, "Violet?"

Jerking awake, Violet rubs her temples and shakes her head vigorously, "Okay," she sighs, "Time to get home."

She begins reaching for her keys, but being somewhat quicker; Pete leans forward and snatches her car keys from her desk before she manages to get a hold of them.

"Hey," Violet objects.

"There's no way I'm letting you drive in this state..."

"I'm fine," she insists, "I just need to walk it off, trust me, I'll be wide awake in two minutes tops…"

"And asleep again within five minutes of getting into that car," Pete points out, "Stop arguing. It's done, I've decided. I'm driving you home."

"What about your bike?" Violet asks mid-yawn.

Pete chuckles, "It'll still be here tomorrow. Now, come on, let's get you home…"

Reluctantly Violet gets up from her seat, "I don't need you to drive me home, you know…"

"Oh, tonight you do…"

As anticipated, Pete's barely swung the car out of the parking lot before Violet's eyes droop shut. By the time they reach her house twenty minutes later her entire body has slumped over in what doesn't look like the most comfortable of sleeping positions.

Pulling up in her driveway, Pete leans over and lightly shakes her shoulder, "Violet?" There's no reaction, no sound, no movement, nothing to indicate she's heard him at all.

Not really keen on waking her when she's sleeping heavily, Pete gets out of the driver's seat and walks around the vehicle. Opening the passenger side door he unbuckles Violet's seat belt. He swings her limp arms around his neck, hooks one arm around her back, the other under her knees. Nothing startles her; not the sound of the car door closing, nor Pete nearly dropping her while attempting to retrieve her house key from her purse, nor the wind blowing the front door shut behind them. All the way from the car to her bed, Violet continues to sleep like a baby…


	7. I don't wanna hear it

Author's Notes: So I passed my exam, all is good and I'm having a lot of fun writing on this story, I really think you'll enjoy what's coming, I sure do. So, as always enjoy and please review. And major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk :)

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><p>"Hey," Pete greets her, quickly glancing around to see if anybody's watching before giving Violet a small peck on the cheek. Noticing her rubbing her forehead he frowns, "You alright?"<p>

"Bit of a headache," Violet explains.

"And you plan to cure it with coffee?" Pete arches his brows.

"I took an aspirin for the head. The coffee's to help me stay awake," Violet completes the picture by letting out a big yawn, "I'm exhausted, I was out of bed at least four times last night."

Pete finds it odd that he didn't wake even once by Violet frequently leaving the bed, "Is something wrong?" Violet hesitates to answer. "We're both doctors, here," he reminds her.

"Yeah, but…" Violet still hesitates, then sighs as she takes a minute to find the words, "…I keep… having to… pee…" she makes an uncomfortable face, "I think I might have to go see Addison about it, I'm not sure…"

As if on cue, Addison walks into the kitchen and plops down into one of the chairs, "What a day," she groans.

Pete discretely moves away from Violet and heads over to the fridge, "What happened?"

"My patient, the one who was raped… she just asked me to repair her hymen…"

Opening the fridge door and retrieving a salad, Pete asks; "She wants to be re-virginized?"

"Essentially yes," Addison confirms, "And I just can't see sewing her back up… it feels wrong…"

"Okay, so wait a minute," Violet butts in as Naomi and Dell joins the group, "So you're going to deprive this girl of the life that she wants because _you_ have a problem with it? She's a victim and you're not going to help her?"

"I just feel like I'm colluding with the whole system…"

"Well, you are," Naomi nods, "You have to tell her no…"

"On what grounds?" Pete asks.

"Legal? Moral? Humanitarian?" Naomi lists.

"What did you get in medical ethics?" Pete wonders, "The test is beneficence and autonomy…"

"What is beneficent about helping a young girl indulge a chauvinist fantasy by sewing up her vagina?" Naomi makes a face.

"Yeah, but the question isn't whether the doctor thinks it's right, is it?" Dell joins in, "It's whether the patient does…"

"She should really talk to someone, if you wanna bring her in…" Violet suggests to Addison.

"I already asked, she wasn't interested, she wouldn't even call the police…"

"Call the police about what?" Sam asks as he enters the kitchen.

"Addison has a patient who wants to be re-virginized," Pete sums up.

"…so she can marry a man which she's never met," Naomi adds.

"…and that's against the law?" Sam asks confused.

"She was raped, Sam," Violet explains.

"Oh… well, that's awful…"

"Yeah, it's awful," Naomi agrees, "But if Addison does this, a girl goes back to Kabul to marry a man she doesn't know, who will only have her if her hymen is intact… that's wrong… it's like violating her _twice_…"

"Yeah, but it's her _choice _isn't it?" Dell points out.

"_Choice_?" a strange female voice has them all turn their attention to the doorway, "That girl will likely live under a veil in a clay hut in a country where she can be stoned for listening to a Madonna album. You think she understands she's choosing that...?"

Pete's eyes widens in confusion as he sees the woman, "Meg?" He stands up; taking in the sight of an old friend he hasn't seen in _years_.

"Hello, Peter," Meg greets him and before he knows it her lips are pressed to his. Taken by surprise, it takes him a few seconds to break it off and when he finally does, Violet is already halfway to her office.

Pete looks around and sees all eyes, Meg's included, demanding an answer, but all he can think about is the hurt look on Violet's face when she stormed out. Running after her, he reaches the door just as it slams shut in his face. In any other situation he would respect her desire to be left alone, but he needs to explain.

"Violet," he says as he enters her office.

"Leave me alone…" Violet is not ready to hear any of the things he's about to say.

Turning his head momentarily, Pete can see the entire practice watching in suspense. Not really keen on having an audience, he closes the blinds on both windows and doors before turning his attention back to the fuming woman in front of him.

"It's all just a misunderstanding…" he begins.

"She was _kissing_ you," Violet hisses.

"Just listen," Pete calmly tries to explain, "Meg and I have known each other since we were residents together. Ever since then we've sort of stormed in and out of each other's lives, we got out of touch a few years back and I had no idea she was going to show up today, how was Meg supposed to know about us? The only one who knows is Cooper and even _he_had to walk in on us to find out…"

Violet stares at him and for a moment Pete believes he's gotten through, then her expression hardens; "Get out," she tells him.

"Violet…" Normally Violet would see the misunderstanding, but today he isn't getting through to her.

"_Get. Out_," she repeats, her eyes filled with fury.

Confused and a bit hurt by the blatant rejection, Pete leaves. He ignores the confused and curious stares from the crowd in the kitchen and wanders over to his office, where Meg seems to be waiting.

"What was that all about?" she asks.

Ignoring her question, he asks, "Why are you here, Meg?"

"I'm here for a Developing Nations Conference; thought I'd stop by, finally see this place of work that you told me… almost nothing about, actually…"

"You're the one who's been out of touch, Meg, not me…"

"Okay, are you mad at me for _that_, or is this linked the woman that stormed out, whom you have yet to tell me the name of, by the way?"

"Violet."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Meg looks him over, "I don't see a ring, so I assume she's not your wife…"

"She's," Pete sighs, "We're… it's complicated…"

"Look, if she's mad about the kiss, I can go right in there and explain… If she's the least bit reasonable she'd understand that I had no idea…"

"Usually she is," he sighs, "Violet generally spots a misunderstanding from a mile away, but today I just can't seem to get through to her… She wouldn't even listen; she just threw me out…"

"Wow, hormonal," Meg remarks, and it's like a light goes on in his mind.

Leaving a confused Meg behind in his office, Pete wanders back across the hall and into Violet's. Looking up and seeing that it's him, she's positively fuming with anger as she gets up from her chair, "Get out!"

"Nausea, Fatigue, Headaches, Mood Swings," he lists every symptom he can recall seeing in her these past couple of weeks.

"_What_?" Violet is now both confused and agitated.

"Are you pregnant?" he asks flat out.

"What? No," Violet instantly denies it. Pete watches her, waiting for the idea to sink in, "No… _no_…" she continues, her face going pale, "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Pete makes a quick scan of the room, grabs the trash bin next to the couch and puts it under her head just seconds before Violet proceeds to empty her recently eaten lunch into it. Hearing her dry heave afterwards, Pete gently rubs circles on her back, waiting for her stomach to once again settle, "I think you should take a test…"

"It's just stress," Violet insists, clearly in denial.

Pete starts counting back the weeks they've been sleeping together and apart from the days following their semi-fight after Cooper walked in on them, he can't recall any specific downtime in their sex-life, "Are you late?" he asks.

"I'm _not_ pregnant," she insists, "I know my body; I would _know _if I was pregnant…"

"Violet…"

"_No_, Pete, leave me alone…"

Not really wanting to leave, but realizing Violet is not about to change her mind, Pete gives in to her request.

* * *

><p>Hearing her door open Violet's head snaps up; ready to tackle round three of the fight if necessary. She's surprised to find her best friend standing in front of her.<p>

"I heard what happened," Cooper states.

She's about to ask him how he could know, but then remembers everyone else being there to witness the incident in the kitchen. That together with her storming out and Pete running after her should at least partially clue them in on what is going on.

"How are you doing, Vi?"

With the way Cooper's been avoiding her for the past weeks, Violet can't help but feel suspicious regarding his timing, "Are you asking because you're actually concerned or are you here to say 'I told you so'?"

"I'm being a good friend, here," he insists, "But yeah, clearly I was right to be concerned about Pete…"

"I knew it," Violet mutters under her breath. Feeling crowded all of a sudden, she grabs her purse and gets up, "You know what? I don't wanna hear it…"

She tosses her keys into the purse and heads out of the office. Momentarily glancing towards Pete's office and seeing him chat with that woman, Meg, Violet feels her anger flare up. She feels more eyes on her and spots Naomi and Dell in the kitchen. Knowing she's by far in the mood to answer questions regarding her thing with Pete, she heads for the elevator.

Thankfully her friends know when not to follow and she leaves the building unaccompanied. Still feeling exhausted she heads in the direction of the coffee cart down the street, but at some point she gets turned around and suddenly she's at a pharmacy staring at an assortment of pregnancy tests.

As much as she wants to deny the possibility, Pete does have a point. Putting her recent ailments together this would explain them all…


	8. You don't know that

Author's Notes: Aw always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. Everyone else, just enjoy and please review ;)

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><p>"Violet?" Pete is surprised, but happy to see her when he opens the door and finds her on the other side. He pondered on going over to her house, but unsure about what kind of welcome he'd get, he opted to give her a day and rather assess her mood at the office instead.<p>

She has her arms crossed and restlessly shifts her weight from one leg to the other, "Maybe you're right…" she sighs.

Pete spots the pharmacy bag in one of her hands, "Did you…?" he asks.

Violet shakes her head, "Not yet…"

He steps aside to let her in. Closing the door behind her, the worried expression in her eyes compels him to wrap his arms around her. It takes her a few seconds, but eventually her arms curl around his waist and he feels her head leaning on his shoulder. They stay like this for several minutes.

He lets her decide when to end the hug; then asks her if she wants anything to drink. Taking her maybe-condition into consideration he suggests making her some tea, an offer which she accepts. Returning from the kitchen, he finds her on the couch, the pharmacy bag on the table in front of her. She's staring at it.

Placing the mug of hot tea on the table in front of her, Pete reaches his hand into the bag and retrieves the box inside it. He is leaving it up to her when to use it, but sees no point in hiding it in a bag as though not seeing it somehow makes the situation less real. Not being in any official relationship, this is one of many things they haven't discussed, and Pete can't help but feel a bit lost.

Violet clutches the mug with both hands and drinks the liquid in big gulps. Pete gets up to refill her mug for her and brings it back. She doesn't say anything, doesn't even look him in the eyes when she accepts the mug from him. They sit in silence side by side for about ten minutes before Violet finally grabs the box and walks into the bathroom. It takes a while, but finally he hears the toilet flush followed by the unmistaken sound of the faucet running.

She doesn't come back out, so Pete decides to go in after her. Luckily Violet never locked the door. He spots the test sitting on the counter in front of him. Violet is sitting on the toilet to the right with her head rested in both hands. Looking up as Pete walks into the room, it's the first time her eyes have met his since he opened his front door earlier, and he can clearly see fear in them. He takes a seat on the edge of the bathtub, and instantly reaches forward, putting his hand on her knee. It's his way of telling her everything will be alright; unfortunately she doesn't seem too convinced.

A few more minutes of silence pass, until Violet gets up from her seat and picks up the test. He can hear her mutter 'crap' under her breath over and over again, and then without a word to him, she leaves the room. Pete quickly follows to find her pacing in the living room.

He tries to make her stop by grabbing both arms and holding her still, "Violet, it's gonna be alright…"

Violet shakes her head and almost fights his grip on her, "You don't know that…"

"Yes, I do… Granted it's not ideal," Pete concedes, urging her to meet his gaze, "But it's not exactly the end of the world… we can do this… we'll figure it out…"

"Wait," Violet frowns, "Are you actually suggesting…?" she shakes her head, "No, Pete… I… we… we can't…"

"Give me one good reason why not," he demands.

"You don't want this, Pete," she insists, "You don't want a… kid with me…"

Pete firmly shakes his head, "No, Violet… You don't get to do this. You don't get to decide what I want, or… may not want."

"Pete," Violet sighs with frustration, "You get spooked whenever a relationship gets too serious, I've seen you do it time and time again… how much more serious can you get than this? A kid… that's commitment, it's forever… it's not something you jump into without some serious consideration…"

"And it's not something you dismiss at the drop of a hat," Pete counters.

They fall silent, staring at each other, at a complete loss on what to say next. Violet has her arms wrapped around herself; in a way it looks as though she's trying to soothe herself. Pete can spot genuine fear in her eyes, but when he moves forward, intending to comfort her, she steps back. It confuses him, and he's surprised how hurt he feels by that one measly step.

"Let's think about it," he suggests, "Whatever we decide, it shouldn't be rushed…" He wants to stress the '_we_', remind Violet that this decision isn't hers alone to make, but he doesn't want to push her. She wouldn't just decide without hearing him out, right? He at least believes he knows her better than that.

She doesn't verbally respond, but he can see a weak nod before she turns and leaves through the front door. Apparently they are both sleeping alone tonight…


	9. Is this an intervention?

Author's Notes: As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. Everyone else, just enjoy and please review ;)

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><p>She has lost count on the many times her eyes have wandered to Pete's office. Meg, the woman from yesterday is in there, and while Violet's hormones are playing more nicely today than they were yesterday, she still feels uncomfortable seeing the two together, even if it's just chatting… and apparently laughing.<p>

It doesn't do her any good to stand around and watch what her logical side knows are two friends catching up, nothing more. She also needs to refill her mug. As she stands in the kitchen, pondering on whether to make herself some tea or coffee, she spots Naomi and Addison coming out of Addison's office. From the way they cautiously make their way towards her, Violet can only conclude one thing…

"Is this an intervention?" she asks.

Naomi hesitates, "We're… concerned," she admits, "I mean, you were there the last time Pete decided to get involved with someone from the practice… you _know _how badly that ended…"

"What Naomi's trying to say is that we don't want to see you getting hurt," Addison explains.

Violet tries not to think about yesterday's sudden complication and instead attempts to focus on her mindset prior to Meg's arrival, "I know what I'm doing…"

"Are you really?" Naomi frowns in disbelief, "Because yesterday… to me that felt a lot like déjà vu…"

Violet knows Naomi is referring to when their former colleague stormed out of her office only to never return. They even had to pack up her things for her and ship it to her new workplace, as the woman refused to set foot in the practice for even for a minute to get them herself.

"It's nothing like that," Violet tries to assure both women, mostly herself, "And more importantly; I'm not Sharon…"

"Wait, who's Sharon?" Addison frowns.

"Our former OB-GYN," Naomi explains, "The one Pete ran off a few months before you came out here…"

"Oh," the redhead nods in understanding.

"And I'm nothing like her," Violet insists, "No matter what happens, I'm…" Violet pauses as she feels the bile rising in the back of her throat, _damn morning sickness_.

"Are you alright?" Naomi asks with a frown.

Violet struggles to fight the bout of nausea as she answers, "Yeah, just… excuse me…"

She tries to walk calmly in direction of the restroom, but feels her pace picking up quickly the closer she gets. Once inside she darts into one of the cubicles, barely finding time to close the door behind her before she empties the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. She doesn't move from her spot on the floor until she's certain nothing more can come out.

Exiting the cubicle she's surprised to find Meg standing in front of her, checking out an angry red mark on the lower part of her back in the mirror, "It's an insect bite, right?" she asks.

Violet shrugs, "Not really my area of expertise. I'm the psychiatrist here at the practice…"

"Right," Meg nods, "Oh, hey, about yesterday… I'm really sorry; I honestly had no idea… I'm so used to Peter being unattached whenever I drop by, it never occurred to me he might have something going on…"

Violet nods, "I get it." Having the woman in front of her, it's hard to fault her. With all the years Violet's known Pete, if she had been the one breezing in and out of his life, she probably would have made the same assumption, "So, Pete told me you were residents together?"

Meg nods, "It took a while before we got to talking, but when we did we just clicked right away. We had a lot of similar goals in life, so when I eventually left to join Doctors Without Borders he was right there with me…"

Violet frowns in confusion, "Wait, Pete did Doctors Without Borders? For how long?"

"A couple of years… he never told you that?" Meg asks confused, "Wow, maybe he has changed… back then that was pretty much his opening line."

"When was this?" Violet can't help but feel a bit curious about Pete's mysterious past, wondering at the same time why in the eight years she's known him he hasn't said a word about it.

"Fifteen years ago?" Meg shrugs, "I was a bit surprised when he quit. Originally he was only supposed to take a few months off, but then he met someone, married her and settled down here. We tried to stay in touch, as much as you can when one of you is constantly moving around the third world. Eventually our friendship just slipped through the cracks."

"But you're here, now," Violet points out.

"I was asked to attend a Developing Nations Conference here in LA, so I figured while I was in town I'd look him up," Meg chuckles, "Imagine my surprise to find him all caught up in holistic medicine, I mean, he always was very open to alternative treatments, especially whenever we were low on supplies, but I never thought he'd go as far as abandoning old school medicine in favor of it…"

Violet shrugs, "I wouldn't say that's what he's been doing. For as long as I've known Pete, he's always been about finding the right balance…"

"You know a different Peter than I do," Meg comments, "You know it's funny… I've always only known him as Peter, a few years out of his life and even that's changed…"

"What was he like, you know, back then?"

"Amazing," Meg shrugs, "Amazing doctor… I'm sure you know…"

"I've only ever seen Pete do Eastern medicine," Violet reminds her.

"Right," Meg nods, "Well, one time we were treating these children in Bosnia. The orphanage was under mortar fire. An evacuation was ordered, but it was impossible to get the kids out. Peter refused to leave the kids behind; he stayed with them through the night. Most of the kids survived because of him…"

At some point, without even realizing it, Violet's hand has taken to stroking her stomach. It's like hearing about Pete's dedication to those kids makes the idea of having one with him a little less scary. Meg arches her brows as she sees this, but she doesn't comment. Violet can only assume the woman was in the room while she was tossing her cookies earlier. You don't have to be a doctor to put two and two together.

"He's always been very fond of kids," Meg shrugs, "To be honest; I'm surprised he and his wife never had any…"

* * *

><p>Violet isn't too surprised to find him on the other side of the door.<p>

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Nauseous," Violet admits, it seems like ever since she found out she was pregnant, her nausea has amped up, the stress of the situation probably having a lot to do with it.

Pete reaches out and tucks a few stray hairs behind her ear, "You know, we could try treating that with acupuncture," he offers.

His gesture brings out a small smile. The idea of maybe becoming a mother, it scares the hell out of her, but Pete's calm concern has a very soothing effect. Whenever he's there, she feels like maybe things will be alright. "Maybe we can do this," she studies his expression as she says it.

The smile she receives reaches his eyes, "Really?"

"I'm scared," she admits, "I've never been one of those women whose life evolved around the idea of starting a family, more the opposite. Just the thought of having kids of my own terrifies me, to know that one is currently growing inside me…"

Pete responds by wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. Violet sighs as she leans into the hug. "What are you so afraid of?" he asks.

Violet meets his eyes, "That I'll fail? That I'll somehow turn into my mother? I don't exactly have the best role model when it comes to parenting…"

Pete presses his lips to her temple, "All kids really need is love, you are more than capable of that."

Violet sighs, "I hope so…"


	10. You're not alone in this

Author's Notes: As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. Everyone else, just enjoy and please review ;)

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><p>She's getting more and more used to waking up with Pete's arm around her. Some mornings his hand will be pressed against her stomach, usually when he's awake or semi-awake, other times his arm will be more flung across her upper body in a sort of loose embrace. It's comforting, but at the same time it's a reminder of how much more complicated her life has become.<p>

Violet knows she should face her pregnancy head on, especially now that she's decided to keep the baby, but she finds herself pushing it out of her mind every chance she gets. Just the thought of everything that's going on with her life and her body, it feels so overwhelmingly big that all she wants to do is hide and pretend it isn't happening. But while she can blame the nausea and fatigue on stress, the headaches and her frequent trips to the bathroom on her varying fluid intake; the cramping she's been experiencing these past few days is harder to ignore or blame on something else. The cramping is in fact scaring her a little bit.

Pete is trying to get her to go see Addison about it, but Violet feels a bit hesitant about involving the redhead in her situation. It doesn't matter to her that Addison is the foremost expert on what is going on right now with her body, the idea of asking her to check on her baby, Pete's baby…

Her head completely elsewhere, it's hard to focus on what Naomi is telling her about possibly getting back together with Sam, as the two of them walk the hallway at Oceanside. "Vi, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"I'm sorry," Violet sighs, "S-so are you ready to let go of the betrayal and everything he put you through?"

"Well, if you believe Pete can change, why not Sam?" Naomi shrugs.

Violet gives the woman a look.

"I'm sorry," Naomi concedes, "I know I should stop giving you a hard time about Pete. You're a grown woman and you're not exactly unaware of his past. I just don't want to see you getting hurt again, especially after everything with Alan…"

"Not that I don't appreciate the concern, but…"

"…you're fine," Naomi finishes, "I know."

"So you and Sam…" Violet continues.

This catches Addison's attention and the redhead approaches the two women, "Wait, you and Sam are getting back together? Nai… that's…" She gives Naomi a wide, happy grin.

Naomi shrugs, but is otherwise hesitant to respond. The two women have been struggling to interact ever since the redhead helped Sam pull a coup a few weeks ago, and now with the rest of the practice voting Addison the new person in charge, the friendship is still a bit rocky at best. Violet can tell Addison feels the discomfort, as she quips, "I hear the new mean boss lady is calling a morning meeting…"

"Oh now, she's not that bad," Naomi shrugs casually, "…once you get to know her…"

Violet's gaze wanders back and forth between the women as they are engulfed by an awkward silence, eventually Addison takes a few steps back, "Well, I should probably…" she nods to the big conference room at the center of the practice as she backs away from the two women.

Violet closes her eyes and clutches her side as she feels a cramp setting in, focusing on her breathing while waiting for it to subside. Opening her eyes again, she sees Naomi standing in front of her with a worried look, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Violet presses out, quickly moving in the direction of the conference room to avoid any further questions. She takes a seat next to Pete, who upon seeing her expression, gently puts his hand on hers.

"Everything alright?" he whispers.

'Cramps,' she mouths back and Pete subtly nods in the direction of Addison, urging her yet again to get this checked out. Violet pretends she doesn't see it, but looking across the table she can spot Naomi looking at them, clearly having witnessed their subtle exchange.

Violet has a hard time concentrating on the meeting with the cramps coming and going. She catches the gist of it, the expanded opening hours, working Saturdays and taking on extra responsibilities to help pull the practice out of the financial rut they seem to have put themselves in. It's not until she hears Addison asking if she's alright, that she notices that most of the others have left the room already.

"I'm fine," she tells the woman.

"No, she's not," Pete loudly objects.

"_Pete_," Violet hisses.

"You can't keep ignoring this, Vi and hope it'll all be alright…"

"Ignore what?" Addison asks, confused.

"Violet's pregnant," Pete explains, "And now she's experiencing stomach cramps…"

Addison's eyes widen in shock as she looks back and forth between them, "Um… w-well…" she stutters, "We should probably check that out…"

Giving Pete a pointed glare for outing their secret, Violet reluctantly follows the redhead into exam room one. Pete follows, and Violet is torn between being mad at him for forcing this on her, and happy that he at least isn't leaving her alone with the other woman after making his announcement.

Addison points to the exam table before turning to prepare the ultrasound machine, "It's… ah… common to feel some cramping early in a pregnancy due to your uterus expanding, but just in case we'll do an ultrasound and see how the baby is doing…" Violet can tell from Addison's tone of voice that she's just as uncomfortable with doing this examination on her as Violet is with having Addison doing it.

Violet lifts up her shirt and unbuttons the top of her jeans. Addison places a towel along the hem of Violet's jeans, "This is going to feel a bit cold," she warns as she squirts some gel onto the brunette's still flat stomach.

To be honest Violet is too preoccupied with her many worries to even notice the cold. Addison swiftly moves the wand down to the right spot, then as she finds it, a smile breaks out on her face, "Ah, there it is…" she points to a small bulky gray shape on the screen, "That's your baby… judging from the size I'd say about eight or nine weeks…"

"That far?" Violet asks, staring at the screen in disbelief.

"Mhm," Addison nods, "Closer to nine than eight… And here," she reaches for a knob on the machine, "is the heartbeat…"

The sound of her baby's heart which, for most expectant mothers probably has a soothing effect, sends Violet's own heart racing. Suddenly the pregnancy isn't just some abstract idea in her head, there's an actual tiny human being growing inside her. She can see it moving on the screen and hear the heart beat. Addison frowns as Violet's breathing gets out of control, "Violet?"

Pete quickly grabs her attention, "Violet, look at me." He puts her hand on his chest, "Forget everything else, and just follow my breathing…"

Addison turns the sound off and stares at the couple as Pete slowly calms Violet down. Deciding to give the two some time alone, she puts two sonogram pictures on top of the machine, "I'll leave these here," she mutters and Violet hears the door shut behind her.

"Are you okay?" Pete asks, taking a seat on the edge of the exam table, his eyes not leaving hers for even a second.

Violet gives a weak nod, "Just a lot to take in at once…"

"I didn't think it was this bad…" he admits, "Are you…" his gaze drops and he hesitates to complete his question, "…are you keeping it just because I asked you to?"

She can't blame him for wondering, and Violet wishes desperately she could find the right words to explain… "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all," she begins, "Hearing the heartbeat… that made it… _real_… there's a baby in here, _my_ baby, a tiny human being… It's beginning to sink in that the pregnancy, that's just the beginning; I'm gonna be responsible for this baby for the rest of my life…"

"_Our_ lives," Pete corrects her, pressing his lips to the top of her head, "You're not alone in this, Vi…"

His words are comforting, exactly what she needs to hear, but at the same time her over-analytical mind can't help but ask; "But, how are we going to do this, Pete? You and me… and a baby?"

"How about we start with me moving in?" Pete suggests, "See where this is headed, if this thing we have could become something more or if we'll just wind up two friends raising a kid…"

Violet hesitates, "That's an awful big commitment, Pete… you sure you wanna do that?"

Pete nods, "I wanna be there… and I wouldn't mind… if what we have turned out to be more than sex…"

The idea of possibly trying for a real relationship feels both comforting and scary at the same time… "I don't know…" she sighs, unsure on how to think or feel.

He tucks stray hairs behind her ear, "Think about it…"


	11. I know exactly how you feel

Author's Notes: I'm really loving where this story is going and just so you know, the file on my computer just reached the 20k mark, the writing is booming! Yay :) As always, many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk for her insight and corrections, and for the rest of you, simply enjoy and review ;)

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><p>She's staring at Cooper's office, pondering on whether or not to make the first step to resolve this fight of theirs. On one hand, she is still pretty fed up with his recent behavior, but right now there are just so many new and scary things in her life, she really could use the support of her best friend. If support is what he'll give her, she's not too sure anymore…<p>

To be honest, with the way her life is going right now, Pete moving in wouldn't make that big of a change. Not really. He sleeps next to her every night with his arm around her; they eat dinner together, healthier ones now that she's growing a life within her; they get ready for work side by side in her bathroom every morning. Practically speaking, Pete moving in would only mean more of his stuff would be there, too. So why does the idea of it scare her so much?

That's why she needs Cooper back in her life. She needs someone who knows her inside out, who will get why she's freaking out because they just know her that well. She needs someone who at times knows her better than she does… The only problem is that she needs the old Cooper, the non-jealous, supportive man she knows exists in there somewhere. That's why she hesitates…

"Hey, Addison?" she hears Dell calling out. Turning her attention to the front desk she sees the young midwife-in-training holding up a couple of sonogram pictures, _her_ sonogram picture, she realizes and a chill runs down her back as she spots the redhead approaching their younger colleague.

"It seems one of your patients left these behind in exam room one, and I was going to file them away," Dell continues and flips open one of his books, "but the time and date stamp on these doesn't match any of the appointments, so I don't know which file to put them in…"

"Oh, I'll take care of it," the redhead reaches for the pictures, "Don't worry about it…"

"I'm fine with doing it," Dell assures her, "I just need the name of the patient, that's all…"

"That's okay, Dell, but I'll take care of it…"

The young midwife gives Addison a suspicious look, "Wait… they're not… You're not…"

"No," the woman cuts him off, shaking her head, "_No_, no… Dell, I'm not…" she gives a nervous laugh as she clearly tries to avoid looking in Violet's direction, "It's just my… patient… she just wouldn't want…" She mumbles the end of that sentence as she swiftly moves away from the younger man. The redhead quickly retreats to her office, taking the pictures with her. Violet makes a mental note to thank the woman the next time they are without an audience.

Spotting Violet with her mug of tea in her hands, Dell makes his way towards the kitchen with a slightly puzzled expression, "Does Addison seem nervous to you?"

"What do you mean?" Violet decides to play ignorant.

"Well, I was asking her about these sonogram pictures I found in exam room one and I swear, I've never seen her so jumpy before… I then asked her if they're hers and she denies it, of course, but I don't know what other reason she could have for being so evasive…"

"I don't…" Violet pauses as a strong scent hits her nostrils, triggering a wave of nausea. Realizing she's reacting to Dell's aftershave, she takes a step back, taking deep breaths in an attempt to settle her stomach.

Dell frowns at first, then his eyes widen, "_You_'re Addison's patient…" he realizes.

Not ready to have words spread, Violet quickly scans the surrounding hallway to see if anyone heard. She's in luck; everyone seems to be with a patient. That is until Naomi's office opens a minute later and the woman seems to be heading towards the kitchen…

Dell seems to pick up on her desire to keep her pregnancy under wraps because he follows up his realization by suggesting they move the conversation to her office, an offer which she quickly accepts.

"I can't believe it," Dell says as the door closes behind them, "_you_… pregnant…"

Violet plops down on one couch, "I don't want anyone to know…"

Dell nods, "I noticed… but what about the father?"

"Pete knows…" she assures him.

An amused grin spreads across Dell's face as he takes a seat opposite her, "Keeping it local, that's… cool! How is he taking it?"

Violet sighs, "A lot better than me," she admits. It's funny because while she likes Dell and he's been part of the practice for the past couple of years, she can't say she knows him that well, but still she feels more comfortable talking to him about her situation than anyone else. Addison is… complicated, Naomi is worried, and Cooper… well, it's hard to understand Cooper these days… she wants to believe he's only worried about her, but the way he's going on about it…

"And how are you taking it…?" Dell eyes her carefully.

"Trying to adjust," Violet tries to put on a brave smile, but it fades almost immediately, "I'm terrified…" she sighs, "Every time I think about it, I get caught up in the enormity of what is happening… and I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal with it…"

Dell nods, "Wanna know a secret?" He fishes his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls out a picture which he gives to Violet, "I know exactly how you feel…"

Violet frowns as she looks at the picture of a little girl, "Um, who's…"

"That's Betsy," Dell cuts her off, "That's my daughter…"

Her eyes widen as she looks at the picture for a second time, "Dell, she must be, what…"

"She's six," Dell nods, "I was seventeen, angry with the world, not exactly hanging with the best crowd. I dabbled a little with drugs and my girlfriend at the time got pregnant… and I was _not_ ready to be a father; I pretty much dragged her to an abortion clinic… which isn't exactly my proudest moment... Heather refused and decided to have the baby. I was so mad at her, but when Betsy was born, it changed everything. I managed to get clean; I went back to school, and then I started working here. I don't get to have Betsy as often as I'd like, but when I do I can at least offer her a safe, loving environment. Heather however is… struggling. She just relapsed two weeks ago, so right now I'm stepping up and keeping Betsy with me while her mom goes back into rehab."

Violet leans forward and puts her hand on top of Dell's, giving it a squeeze as she sends the younger man a sympathetic and encouraging smile.

Dell gives her a smile in return, "I'm thinking about bringing Betsy to the practice one of these days to meet everyone, but I want to be able to show her an office of my own, show my kid that at least one of her parents have got their act together…"

"You could maybe try talking to Addison about it," Violet suggests, "See what she can do about getting you your own office space."

Dell nods, "I'm actually thinking about asking if I can clear out the storage down the hall and put in a desk… I don't need much, just a desk where she can draw and a wall where I can hang her pictures."

Violet can't help but smile at the image of the little smiling girl in the picture sitting at a desk, eagerly engaged in a drawing, and her thoughts drift to her own child. This time Dell is the one squeezing her hand and sending her an encouraging smile.

"If I could at seventeen," he says, "Then you can do it now. You have everything going for you, Vi; a nice home, a good career, and most importantly you're full of love… you're gonna make a wonderful mom. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll love this kid with all your heart. And Pete's a good guy, better than I was, he'll make a great dad."


	12. Do you have feelings for him?

Author's Notes: For any readers that might have noticed where I'm from, I just want to let you know that, yes, I'm alright. I wasn't near any of the things that went down, neither were any of my family or friends. It's unreal, though. I can't even begin to imagine how all those families must feel. But I'm proud of the people here are handling it. We're determined not to let this horrible tragedy change what we stand for.

With that said, I just want to extend my gratitute to my beta, Mediatorsk. And for everyone else I just want to say; enjoy and let me know what you think :)

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><p>Violet frowns in surprise when she finds Pete on the other side of her door, "I thought you were hanging with the guys tonight…"<p>

Pete gently pecks her cheek, "I said I was going for a drink or two, not that I was gonna be gone all night…" he holds up a paper bag, "I also figured you might be hungry…"

"Take-out again?" Violet chuckles.

"Once in a while is still alright," he gently reminds her.

Violet accepts the bag and heads into the living room as Pete removes his shoes and jacket.

"Oh, by the way, I found out who Cooper's mystery girlfriend is…" Pete calls out.

Violet gawps, "_How_ is it my _best_ friend told _you_ before me?"

Pete shakes his head, "He didn't…" he says cryptically, "She was at the bar and Cooper ended up going home with her…"

He plops down on the couch next to her and Violet looks at him in anticipation, "Okay, so are you going to tell me anytime soon?"

Pete grins as he grabs one of the containers, "So, here we all are at the bar, trying to help Sam get back into the dating game…" He stabs a piece of meat with his fork, bringing it to his mouth, "Sam pretty much reveals he has no game whatsoever, and both Cooper and I taunt him a bit… so Sam decides to challenge Cooper to put his money where his mouth is so to speak and points out this blonde across the bar… _just_ as Cooper proclaims it to be 'too easy' the blonde turns around and lo and behold… it's Charlotte King…"

Violet chuckles, "Okay, not that it's not a funny story, but could you maybe speed up to the part where Cooper leaves with the mystery girlfriend? Cause I already know he's not leaving with Charlotte…"

Pete doesn't say anything, simply gives her a smug grin as he takes another forkful from of his container.

"No _way_," Violet shakes her head, "He did _not_ go home with Charlotte King…"

"He downed his drink, headed over and within just one minute he had her following him out the front door…" Pete shrugs and leans back in his seat.

* * *

><p>The door barely closes behind her before Violet exclaims; "Charlotte <em>King<em>!"

Cooper's expression is one of guilty admittance, "I know I should've told you… I wanted to; you just haven't been very… approachable lately…"

Of course Cooper believes that's what she's being upset about… okay, so maybe the surprise factors in a little bit, but… "You've been giving me _nothing_ but grief about me and Pete, and the whole time you've been sleeping with _Cruella_…?"

Cooper winces, "Don't _call_ her that…"

"I'm just trying to understand, Coop… _when_ did you stop hating her?"

"I don't know," he shrugs, "I don't know if I have… I mean she's mean and rude and… bossy, but God help me, I like her, Violet. I really like her, almost like kind of… love her. And I'm freaking out, because now everyone knows and they're asking me about her and I don't have you to lean on, which I know is partly my own fault…" he sighs, "I'm sorry, Vi, I know I probably should've been more understanding about Pete given the whole me and Charlotte thing… I guess I just freaked out…"

Violet sighs and takes a seat. It's hard to stay mad at him with the way the man apologizes. "Okay," she nods, accepting the apology, but she leaves it to him to carry on the conversation.

Cooper eyes her carefully before asking; "So how are things between you and Pete?"

"Complicated," Violet gives an involuntary chuckle.

"I'm in love with a woman I hate," Cooper points out, "I think I've got you beat…"

Violet shakes her head, "Unless the next thing that comes out of your mouth is that she's pregnant, I don't think so…"

"You're _pregnant_?" This makes Cooper sit up straight and frown, "You serious?"

"Going on ten weeks now…" Violet spots the disbelief in his eyes, "I know… I didn't expect it to be that far, either, I only did the test like two weeks ago…"

"What does Pete think?" the pediatrician frowns, "I mean… you have told him, right?"

"He's onboard…" Violet shrugs and leans back in her seat.

Cooper cocks his brows, "As in…?"

"He wants to move in," she explains. Given their most recent interactions, Violet halfway expects Cooper to have another freak-out about it all, possibly another 'I told you so' moment.

He ends up surprising her; "And what do you want?" he calmly asks.

"I don't know," she sighs, "On one hand it's _Pete_, you know… I mean, how can I even contemplate a future with him given everything I've seen these past eight years…? How naïve wouldn't it be to think it could change with me…?"

She looks to him to give her an answer; in a way she's expecting him to talk her out of it, like tell her it's too soon or that she's right to worry about Pete, but surprisingly all Cooper does is slightly raise his brows.

"Do you have feelings for him?" he finally asks.

Just the question alone sends shivers down her spine. The therapist in her recognizes that arguing against Pete only proves to confirm there's more going there on than just scratching an itch, but… "I don't know what of it is just… hormones… and what's real," she quietly admits. That's the problem. The pregnancy having progressed as far as it has, it blurs what feelings might have developed naturally and what is simply a physiological response.

Cooper nods pensively, but doesn't say anything. Normally the man would at least offer some sort of opinion on her situation, but today he's being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Is that it?" Violet asks, frustrated, "You're not going to say _anything_? I'm pouring my heart out here, Coop…"

"But are you really?" Cooper asks, "Because to me it seems like you're more debating with yourself than talking to me… Now me, _I _poured my heart out about Charlotte… which you haven't said a word about, by the way…"

"What do you want me to say?" Violet sighs, "You say she's mean and you hate her, but then you say you love her as well… I don't know what to say about that… I mean, she's Charlotte King, Cooper…"

"Love is irrational," Cooper shrugs and gives her a small smile, earning himself a smile in return, "What about you, do you love Pete?"

Violet hesitates, she's almost afraid of answering, "I… ah… I don't know," she shrugs, "He's… _Pete_…" she sighs. To Cooper that statement doesn't really say much; if anything, it has a slight negative connotation considering the man's dating history. To her on the other hand, it says everything; he's Pete… he puts a smile on her face, sends shivers down her spine, makes her feel like everything is gonna be alright… which scares her all the same… "I guess I'm afraid…" she admits.

"Of…?"

"Getting too close…" Violet shrugs.

"You're having a baby with the guy," Cooper gives her a pointed look, "I think we can safely say you've surpassed that…"

"Getting too close _emotionally_," she clarifies, "Getting burned…"

"That isn't really in your control, Vi," Cooper points out, "You can choose to keep him at an arm's length, but that won't make any feelings you have for him go away…"

Violet frowns, "Wait, are you saying I should go for it?"

"I'm saying that your feelings will be there regardless of what you do. I mean, I could dump Charlotte tomorrow… sometimes I just wanna dump her ass and walk away. But that wouldn't make the feelings I already have for her go away… And whatever you may feel for Pete… telling him 'no' isn't going to change any of it. It's good that you're guarded, Vi, but if you think that's going to keep you from getting hurt, then I'm just afraid you could be in for a rude awakening…"

Violet slumps backwards in her seat and lets out a sigh in frustration. Rather than solving her dilemma, Cooper seems to only have muddled her thoughts even further. Sensing her distress, Cooper leans forward and grabs her hand.

"Let your heart decide, Vi…" he strokes her hand soothingly, "Maybe you and Pete could work, or maybe it's a disaster waiting to happen… I don't know. And maybe I am signing myself up for nothing but heartache and misery by letting this thing with Charlotte continue, but with the way I feel about her I just need to try… see if it could actually become something… more… Maybe that's what you need to do with Pete… see where it leads…"


	13. Just my luck

Author's Notes: As always I want to thank my beta, Mediatorsk. And for everyone else, enjoy and do let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>"I don't know about this…"<p>

It's a Saturday mid-morning and Violet finds herself still in bed as Pete has taken it upon himself to try treating her ever increasing nausea with a combination of acupuncture and acupressure. She now has a handful of needles sticking out of various parts of her face and Pete is currently applying pressure to the inside of her wrist.

"You've referred more than a few patients to me for this sort of thing, so don't tell me you don't believe in it…" Pete teases.

"It's not that I don't think it works…" she sighs, "But you try being comfortable with twenty plus needles sticking out of your face…"

"Six," Pete corrects with a mild chuckle.

"My point is that I feel like pin cushion…"

Pete gives her a pointed look, "Look, I let you shrink me pretty much on a daily basis. I listen to whatever you have to say because I respect what you do. The least you could do in return is lie still and let me treat your nausea the way I know how…"

"I thought the nausea was supposed to decrease by now, not amp up," Violet mutters miserably.

Pete momentarily stops what he's doing and gently strokes her upper arm in sympathy, "The nausea usually lets up by the second trimester, but not always…"

"Just my luck, I guess," Violet grumbles.

"Hey," Pete places a kiss to the palm of her hand before continuing with his work, "It could still ease up, and we'll keep doing this in the meantime…"

The corners of her lips tugs upwards, forming a small smile as her gaze drifts from Pete to the dresser behind him; the second drawer from the top is now all his, and about a fourth of her closet space now rooms his clothes. It's not that she can see any of it from where she's lying, but just looking at the pieces of furniture she's reminded of their new contents and what it all means; they're now officially living together. It's scary, confusing and… oddly comfortable.

Pete is treating her home as his own and it extends beyond having his own key and occupying space in her dresser and closet. He's claimed the large recliner as his own. Violet isn't sure if it's a conscious or subconscious claim, but whenever they are taking some time to themselves, that's where he chooses to sit.

That's also fairly new; the whole taking time to themselves thing. Before Violet would save activities like reading for evenings when Pete wasn't coming over, but now she finds herself more often curled up with her snuggy and a book. Sometime she even forgets that he's there, only to be reminded of his presence when the lamp behind her gets mysteriously lit, or her empty mug of tea is suddenly full again.

In some ways it feels as though she's simply acquired herself a roommate… a roommate she sleeps with on a regular basis; who lies right next to her in bed at night, often with his arm around her; who she might be developing feelings towards whether she wants to or not; and who happens to be the father of her unborn child… how did her life get _this_ confusing and complicated? The man she originally only intended to scratch an itch with is now sitting in bed with her on a Saturday morning, _not_ recovering from a mind-blowing orgasm, but rather, treating her morning sickness…

"What exactly are you doing?" she can't help but be curious.

"I'm applying pressure to your _Neiguan _point," Pete explains, pointing to a specific place right below her wrist, "It's located right here and helps relieve various forms of nausea."

"How do you know it'll help?"

"Do you feel nauseous?" Pete challenges.

Violet gives him a look, "Well, not right now, but the nausea does come and go…" she gently reminds him.

Pete nods and slides an elastic band over her hand, "Well, here's an anti-nausea wristband," he explains, "Whenever you feel the nausea acting up, press the button and it should ease up, and if not, then we could look into other methods…"

Violet nods, then frowns as Pete moves off the bed, "Are the needles supposed to come out anytime soon?"

Not commenting, Pete reaches out and gently pulls the needles out one by one, his fingers gently caressing her face between each individual needle, "You hungry?" he asks, "I could make us some lunch…"

Pete in the kitchen, that's another new thing to get used to. He's actually not half-bad. Not exactly a master chef, but a lot better than her, that's for sure… "As long it isn't soup," she conditions with a smile.

* * *

><p>Violet is not in the best of moods. Between starting her day with her head down the toilet and spending her morning in court, this day is not exactly shaping up to becoming one of her favorites… and it's not even noon yet. To make matters worse, the court apparently felt it necessary to burden her further by directly involving her in her former patient's sentence…<p>

"Unbelievable, you try to do your civic duty…" she mutters to herself, not even noticing the crowd of people blocking the way to her office until she's standing right in front of them, "I shouldn't have to do this…" she sighs.

"You alright?" Pete frowns, instinctively rubbing her back in comfort, "Court not go okay?"

"Depends… you guys like pedophiles?" she quips, glancing around the room, "'Cause you're about to have one here… every day…"

"Wait, what?" Everyone frowns at the news.

"Is this the court case you were subpoenaed for?" Naomi asks, "Your ex-client?"

"They gave him a suspended sentence," Violet shrugs, "mandated therapy _with_ me, starting today… here…"

"_No_," Cooper objects, "This is a pediatric office, we have children here…"

Violet sighs, "It's after hours," she explains, "he has to be out by nine, in after seven…" Finally taking a look at the crowd in front of her she spots an unfamiliar face, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"My brother, Archer," Addison explains, "Archer, Violet…"

"Hello," Archer greets her with a flirtatious smile.

Everyone's gazes drift from Archer to Pete. Although he doesn't appear jealous, his entire body language pretty much reads; '_Dude_, back off…'

"Hi," Violet greets the man with a slight chuckle.

"You need to stop that," Addison chastises her brother before turning back to Violet, "Okay, back to the pedophile…"

"Oh yeah," Sam nods, "This is wrong… a sex offender _here_, at this office?"

Pete frowns, "He's Violet's patient… he needs help…"

"You'd have him roaming the halls looking at my wall of kids photos?" Cooper challenges, "And what if, _God forbid_, he should target one of them?"

"How could you let this happen, Vi?" Dell finally speaks up, clearly upset.

Violet gawps, "It's court appointed, Dell… I didn't exactly have a choice…"

"Except you did, because as far as I know, unless the expert witness told the court he isn't dangerous, there's no way they would've just let him off with a suspended sentence…"

"Dude, you're way out of line," Pete speaks up.

"He didn't actually _do_ anything," Violet adds, "What was I supposed to do, lie?"

"So what you're saying is some poor child has to suffer before the likes of him can be thrown behind bars?" Dell then turns to Pete, "And you agree with her...? What if down the line that is _your_ child…"

Violet feels herself covering her barely visible baby bump with both hands, the younger man's words hitting home. Dell storms out of the room, and she immediately feels compelled to follow, but then she feels Pete's hand on her shoulder, slightly holding her back, "Give him a minute," he suggests.

There's about a minute's silence before Sam clears his voice, his eyes wandering from Pete to Violet to Violet's stomach, "I guess this means congratulations are in order…"

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Pete asks as Violet slumps down on the couch next to him. It's been a long, tiring and agonizing day and more than anything she just wants it to be over so a new and better one may start… "Is it what Dell said?" Pete suggests.<p>

"I hate this," Violet sighs, "I'm supposed to be objective, not judge anyone for their thoughts… but ever since Dell said what he said, whenever I'm with Hal, rather than listening to what he's saying and making a fair assessment of whether or not he actually is any threat, _all_ I can think is what if… And part of me wants to tell the court to appoint someone else, because I clearly can't stay objective about this anymore… and then there's this other part of me that doesn't want to leave it up to somebody else, just in case they deem him _not_ dangerous and he actually winds up hurting some poor innocent child…"

"Hey," Pete places his arm across her shoulders, gently nudging her to lean in, wrapping both arms around her when she does, "It's okay to feel conflicted from time to time…"

"I take pride in not judging people, Pete," she reminds him, "In separating the condition from the actual person. I know it isn't Hal's _choice_ to be attracted to these young girls, and so far he hasn't harmed anyone… But what if he does? What if this fantasy he's been telling me about turns out to be an actual plan and some poor girl suffers because _I_decided to give him a chance?"

Pete plants a kiss on the top of her head, "But is it right to lock a man up for what he only _might_ do?" he asks, "Wouldn't that be persecuting him for his condition?"

"That used to be my predominant thought…" Violet sighs, "up until Dell said his piece… Now, all I can think about is that hypothetical girl…" she hesitates, not really keen on digging up the past, but if Pete really is to be part of her life he needs to learn the truth at some point, "I know… Pete… I know what it's like to be victimized…" she swallows hard as she sits back and looks at him, giving him a moment to digest the news.

He doesn't say anything, but his face tenses up a bit, and she even feels the arm he still has around her tighten its hold on her, like he's attempting to protect her from her past. But Pete doesn't ask any questions, rather he's leaving it up to her how much of it she's willing to share with him.

"His victim before me, she didn't press charges…" she continues, "and I know it's not the same thing, but if I…" she sighs.

Pete bites his lip and nods in understanding, "Do you think it is a plan?" he asks, "That fantasy of his?"

Violet shakes her head and shrugs, "I don't know… it might be or it might just be unwanted thoughts that he's trying to air out…"

"Could it be a cry for help?" Pete ponders.

Violet frowns, "You think he's telling me these things so I'll decide to lock him up and save him from himself?"

"Do you think he's fighting the urge because society sees it as wrong or because he does?"

"I don't think Hal _wants_ to hurt anyone," Violet sighs.

"And if it came down to a choice between clearing him to live his life and locking him up to keep him from harming anyone, what do you think he'd want you to choose?"

"I have to report him," Violet realizes.


	14. Hold the door

Author's Notes: As always I want to thank my beta, Mediatorsk. And for everyone else, enjoy and do let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>"Hold the door," Violet calls out as she enters the building. One hand on her slowly expanding bump, she runs towards the elevator only to catch a glimpse of blonde hair before the doors close in front of her. A bit annoyed, she makes a mental note to tell Cooper about his girlfriend's complete lack common courtesy. Pressing the button, she watches the floor indicator and frowns in surprise when the elevator seems to stop at four rather than five.<p>

"Hey," Cooper calls out behind her, "How's the bug doing?" referring to the nickname the two friends have come up with for the baby.

More than a bit confused, Violet turns around to face her best friend. Glancing between him and the floor indicator, which seems to be decreasing again and rubbing her belly as she feels a flutter of activity not yet detectable from the outside, Violet can't help but ask, "Is there some reason Charlotte would pay a visit to the fourth floor renovation?"

Cooper frowns, "You saw Charlotte?"

"I didn't get a close look," Violet prefaces, "The doors closed too quickly for me to tell, but I saw someone looking a bit like her in the elevator just now, which just stopped at the fourth floor…"

"Nah," Cooper dismisses, shaking his head, "You probably saw wrong. What business would Charlotte have on the fourth floor…?"

"My point exactly," Violet nods.

The elevator doors open and the two best friends enter. Violet observes as Cooper's hand hovers hesitantly over the button panel, "We could always go take a look," she suggests.

"Wouldn't that be like distrusting her?" Cooper ponders.

"Has she mentioned anything like this to you?" Violet counters.

"Well, she did talk about having a job interview a while back… but what that would have to do with the fourth floor…"

Reaching forward, Violet makes the decision to press four. Cooper gives her a hesitant look, but doesn't say anything about it. They ride the elevator up in silence. As the elevator reaches the fourth floor, the doors open to reveal a newly renovated office space. Gone is the construction crew that they've seen occasionally and heard frequently from their offices one floor up. A sign with bright blue letters spells out the company name: _Pacific Wellcare_, and Violet suddenly has a bad feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.

"Charlotte?" Cooper suddenly calls out, and Violet looks up just in time to see the blonde woman turn around, her eyes widen as she sees the two best friends in her lobby.

"Cooper…" the woman sighs.

"_This _is your new job!" Cooper exclaims, "So what? You used me, you slept with me, you heard about our financial problems, our fourth floor problem and you swooped in and… what the hell is this?"

"Don't you _dare_ come in here and use that tone with me," Charlotte retorts, "This is _business_, and we're _personal_…"

Cooper scoffs, "You're joining a medical practice in _my_ building, directly competing with _my_ practice, and I'm supposed to think this isn't personal? How about all the nights you slept right next to me and you didn't even _think _to mention this to me?"

"I _couldn't_ tell you," Charlotte stresses, "because I signed a non-disclosure agreement when they hired me… until this place was staffed I couldn't tell _anyone_…"

"_No_," Cooper shakes his head, "You _used_ your connection with me, what I told you in _confidence_ about what was going on with the practice, the very _least_ you could have done was to give me a heads up on what was going on…"

"Cooper…"

Violet is honestly surprised to see the complete look of defeat on the usually tough blonde's face. In a way she's beginning to feel bad for her.

"No, I'm done," Cooper insists, stepping back into the elevator, motioning for Violet to follow.

The elevator doors closing behind her, Violet turns her attention to her best friend and asks; "Are you okay?"

Cooper only responds with a bit of a glare… oh yeah, this is going to be a swell day…

* * *

><p>Violet is looking at her colleagues' beverages with longing, "Seriously, how am I going to survive five more months without coffee…" she sighs, taking a sip from her smoothie.<p>

"If you're planning on breast-feeding you're looking at longer than that," Naomi informs.

"Great," Violet scoffs, "Just what I needed to hear…"

"Don't mind her," Addison gives Naomi a pointed look, "Besides, look at the big picture. Giving up coffee is but a small price to pay for what you're getting…"

"Remind me to give you that exact speech when you're the one tackling sleepless nights without caffeine," Violet rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, it's hard," Naomi concedes, "There's no denying it, but looking back I wouldn't change it for the world. Maya's the one thing in my life I don't regret. And I think once you pop that baby out, you'll see what I mean…"

Violet gives a hesitant smile. It's still a bit soon for her to want to think about the actual baby. There is, however, a question she would very much like to ask the other woman, but hesitantly glances at Addison walking between them for a few seconds before asking; "Um, when you were in your fourth month, did you want sex, like all the time?"

Having a pretty healthy sexual appetite in general, Violet's surprised how many of her thoughts this past week have been geared towards sex. It's getting so bad she's having problems concentrating if she sees Pete walking past her office, because in some weird Pavlov's bell kind of way, her body now seems to associate Pete with sex.

"Oh yeah," Naomi grins, "I used to drive Sam crazy… but in a good way," she adds, earning herself a laugh from both women, "My advice is to just enjoy it while it lasts. You're not going to feel all sexy and energized forever, so take advantage of the time you have now."

"I miss sex," Addison sighs.

"What are you talking about?" Naomi frowns, "You've got a gorgeous man sleeping in your bed…"

"That's _all_ he's doing in my bed," Addison points out, "Doctor's orders…"

"You have sex on the horizon," Violet points out.

"Which is better than having had amazing sex in your recent past," Naomi sighs, referring, of course to her recent tryst with Addison's brother, Archer, "with no visible sign of it happening again…"

"…or an impending sexless, sleepless future looming over your shoulders," Violet adds.

"It won't be forever, you know," Addison points out.

"I could tell you the same thing," Violet remarks.

"Okay, point taken," Addison nods.

The Oceanside building getting within view as they round the corner, all three women's eyes land on the new lettering on the building spelling out their competitor's name right underneath their own practice's sign.

"I can't believe this is happening," Naomi sighs.

"How is it Charlotte King got to be the leader of a spanking new medical practice," Addison wonders, "And in _our_ building of all places…"

Violet shrugs, "I don't have all the details, but from what I do know Charlotte found out about the fourth floor vacancy through her thing with Cooper."

"How is Cooper taking it?" Naomi asks.

"He's pretty hurt," Violet informs, "And pretty mad. I don't know who he's madder at; himself for telling her about the fourth floor in the first place, or Charlotte for betraying his trust…"

Naomi nods, "He does know that we're not blaming him, right?"

"It's a pretty bad situation for all of us, though," Addison points out, "We all depend on referrals from St. Ambrose. With Charlotte's new practice up and running we can kiss all of those goodbye…"

"We shouldn't be so negative, though," while acknowledging that it's a pretty bad situation, Violet isn't ready to just give up, "We've been here for years, we're established, we excel at what we do. Our patients come to us because we're known to be the best, there's no way they're going to fall for Charlotte's gimmicks, even if it is…" she frowns as they walk in the front door and see a bright yellow banner right next to the elevators, "…free breakfast?"

"Isn't that a bit desperate?" Naomi asks, cocking her brows as she spots Charlotte at the other side of the room.

"We like to treat our patients well," the woman shrugs, casually.

"We like to treat our patients with medicine, not breakfast," Addison quickly retorts.

"What patients?" Charlotte grins smugly, "Last I checked they were all on the fourth floor…"

So much for feeling bad for the woman…


	15. Everything's good

Author's Notes: As always I want to thank my beta, Mediatorsk. And for everyone else, enjoy and do let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>"Everything seems good," Addison informs as she looks through the various test results, "Your blood work's fine, no signs of gestational diabetes, your blood pressure is within normal range, and the baby seems to be developing nicely. Are you feeling any movement yet?" she asks with a slight smile.<p>

Violet is slowly growing more comfortable having Addison as her OB. It doesn't feel as weird as it did in the beginning, and with the woman being more or less an expert on everything to do with pregnancy and babies, it is a comfort knowing her _bug _is in the hands of one of the best in the business.

"A little bit," Violet tells the woman, instinctively stroking her bump, "It's not detectable from the outside, yet, though…"

"Pete's getting impatient?" Addison guesses.

Violet shrugs, "He knows it's a bit too soon for that…"

That's the one bit that's still awkward to talk about. She can tell that Addison is trying not to be weird about it, which is good considering the woman is currently dating a member of Los Angeles' SWAT team and really shouldn't be thinking that much about a former flirtation.

The practice has more or less assumed Violet and Pete to be in some kind of committed relationship with the two of them moving in together and having a baby. They haven't confirmed nor denied the assumption as they both are in agreement that whatever they are it isn't really the practice's business. Violet has very much adjusted to having Pete living at her house, but she still feels a bit apprehensive about embracing a full on relationship with the man, not that she can pinpoint how that distinguishes from whatever it is they currently have going on with each other…

"Have you two discussed any names yet?" Addison asks.

"Not yet," Violet grimaces.

She realizes the woman's just trying to make conversation, but to be honest she's still only getting used to being pregnant. _The bug_ is more than just a cutesy way of omitting referring to the baby as an 'it' while waiting for the sex to be revealed. It's about comfort, about not feeling suffocated by the enormity of what is happening to her life. _The bug_ conjures for her an image of something harmless, something small that she can handle. The concept of parenting, however, of taking care of this helpless tiny human being growing inside her, is still too scary for her to allow herself to really think about just yet.

It's a step by step process and Violet is more than grateful for the months she still has left to prepare herself for what is coming. She's not a religious person by any means, so she doesn't buy the concept of a deity controlling the ebb and flow of the world, but if she had she'd be grateful for the pre-designed nine month waiting period, allowing even the more anxious expectant parent to get used to the idea.

Noticing the time and knowing she has a patient coming in within the next half an hour, Violet finally sits up, "Any last advice before I go?" she asks the redhead.

"Just keep up with your prenatal vitamins," Addison shrugs, "Make sure you exercise, drink plenty of fluids, and if you aren't already, I recommend sleeping on your side for the remainder of your pregnancy."

* * *

><p>Violet is curled up in her usual chair, nose deep in her copy of 'What to expect when you're expecting' when she hears the front door unlock. Looking up she sees a rather defeated-looking Pete dropping his keys on the dining table before plopping onto the couch. The sigh escaping his lips and the guilt in his eyes tells her everything she needs to know.<p>

Closing the book and putting it on the table in front of her, she reaches over and places her hand on top of his, "Naomi told me about Ray," she says with a sad smile. Naomi only told her the man collapsed at the end of a major bike race, the rest is right there in Pete's eyes. It's not the first time any of them has lost a patient, but she knows Pete was particularly struggling with this one, "You okay?" she asks.

Pete shrugs, "I don't know…"

"He made his choice, Pete," she points out, "You laid down all the risks, advised him not to race, and when you realized he wasn't going to listen you did whatever you could to help him live through it."

Pete frowns, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I distinctively remember you yelling at me about exactly this just two days ago…" he reminds her.

"Just because I don't believe giving people what they want is necessarily the best thing for them, it doesn't make this any more your fault," she squeezes his hand in assurance, "I think you were right when you said Ray would go look somewhere else if you refused to treat him; and that other place might never have found out about his heart condition. The will is a powerful thing. Who's to say he wouldn't lie about his condition to some other doctor to make the race happen, after all he didn't tell you and Sam about it, his wife did, which suggests to me the minute he knew his knee could be fixed, his mind was made up. At least you got the chance to try and help his heart."

"A lot of good that did him," Pete murmurs and looks away.

Violet gets up from her chair and moves over to the couch, "You did what you could," she reminds him, "That's all anyone of us can do…"

"Yeah," he shrugs, then turns his attention to her, more specifically her slowly growing baby bump, "How did your appointment go?" he changes the subject.

"Everything's good," she smiles, absentmindedly stroking the curve of her stomach, "The bug is right on schedule."

Pete chuckles and shakes his head at the use of the nickname. She knows he finds it silly, but he goes along with it for her sake. Placing his hand on top of hers, his gaze meets hers. The warmth of his hand and the intensity of his gaze send shivers down her spine.

It's Violet who closes the gap between their lips. Pete is quick to follow and soon Violet is on his lap, his hands underneath her blouse, caressing her slowly changing body…


	16. Hello, hello, anyone in here?

Author's Notes: To make up for a longer wait, here's a longer chapter. And here I thought being on vacation meant more time and energy to write... my bad, lol. As always I wanna express gratitude to my wonderful beta, Mediatorsk :) Everyone else, enjoy and let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>She's contemplating leaving for the day when her best friend suddenly plops down next to her on the couch. Normally being very forward with whatever is on his mind, Cooper is uncharacteristically quiet. "You okay?" Violet inquires.<p>

He sighs.

"Charlotte?" she more states than guesses.

Cooper shakes his head, "Sometimes I just don't get her…"

Violet shrugs, "Well, you're the one dating her…"

"_Dated_," Cooper specifies, "Past tense…"

Violet frowns, "So… seeing her around the office a lot this week was just a figment of my imagination?" Considering the woman's now in direct competition with their practice, it's not as though Charlotte has much of a professional reason to be hanging around Oceanside.

"No, that was…" Cooper sighs, "…a fluke," he finishes lamely.

Violet cocks her brows, wordlessly demanding a clarification.

"I thought she was pregnant," he shrugs, "Turns out it was just the lobster… from the breakfast buffet…"

"You sound disappointed," Violet observes.

"No," Cooper shakes his head, "This is better. We are obviously not right for each other, it's better there isn't some kid forcing us together…" almost instantly realizing his poor phrasing, he quickly adds; "Sorry, I didn't mean… I'm not saying…"

His words hitting close to home, Violet bites her lip. Her right hand seeks out the soft curve of her stomach and she quietly wonders where the relationship might have headed had her pregnancy turned out merely to be a false alarm.

Obviously feeling like an idiot, Cooper takes her hands in his, "Hey," he says, giving her his trademark assuring smile, "Don't think that." It's one of those rare moments where he seems to just read her mind, or maybe it's her expression that says it all.

"It's not that different," she reminds him.

"Actually it is," Cooper points out, "For one thing, you and Pete never hated each other…"

The comment earns him a light chuckle. Violet continues absentmindedly stroking her stomach, her thoughts drifting to her and Pete's relationship as of late. Much like her pregnancy it's been an endless stream of progression; from sleeping together, to conceiving a child together, to moving in together, to developing feelings for the man… and to think six months ago, she wouldn't have been able to predict any of it.

"Is he kicking?" Cooper suddenly asks.

"_He_?" Violet arches her brow in question.

"Bug – boy – he," Cooper reasons, earning himself another brief chuckle.

"Not much right now," she shrugs.

Exercising his prerogative as best friend, Cooper places a hand on Violet's stomach, "Is it weird?" he asks, "Having something move inside you? Does it feel weird?"

Violet chuckles, "Yeah," she nods.

They fall silent, both staring blankly into space. Violet's relieved to have her best friend back, apart from the change in their respective relationship status, it's beginning to feel a lot like the good old times where they would just sit together, not really saying much.

"He's being quiet," Cooper complains.

Violet laughs, "Again with the _he_…"

"Call it a hunch," Cooper shrugs, giving her a boyish grin. He bends down over her belly, "Hello, hello, anyone in here? Kick _once _for 'yes'…"

Shaking her head, Violet playfully pushes him away, "Stop talking to my stomach," she mock-scolds, "It's too weird… Besides, you can't feel it yet, anyway…"

"Pete's been trying?" Cooper guesses.

Violet just smiles. It's not that Pete's been _actively_ trying to feel the bug kick, but she has to admit that lately his hands have taken to wandering down to the swell of her belly whenever they've been in close proximity of one another. It's always felt natural, though, not forced. Like the way she finds his arm slung across her upper body when she wakes up in the morning; or in the bathroom, when he wraps his arms around her from behind to give her a peck on the cheek; or the times when they are watching TV together and he has one arm wrapped around her, his hand will just naturally rest on the curve of her stomach. She can't decide if it's conscious or instinctual on his part.

"You know, I'm jealous," Cooper admits, "We both went into relationships no one thought could work; only yours seems to be working out perfectly…"

"Don't kid yourself, Cooper," Violet shakes her head, "I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop… Good things don't tend to last with me…"

Cooper responds by grabbing her hand and squeezing it; "Don't be afraid to be happy, Vi…"

* * *

><p>"Hey," Cooper calls out from the door opening, "Not that it's any of my business, but you are planning to vaccinate the bug, right?"<p>

Violet looks up from her computer with a confused frown, her eyes quickly softening when she takes in her best friend's drained expression, "Kid not doing too well?" she asks, concerned, referring to Cooper's patient, whose mother's adamant about not vaccinating her kids.

Cooper's head drops, "He died an hour ago…" he sighs, "I ended up inoculating his brother _against_ his mother's will…"

Feeling a surge of protectiveness over her bug, Violet starts stroking her stomach.

Cooper plops down on the couch, stretching out from one end to the other, "What a day," he groans, "Feels like all I've been doing all day is fight. Fighting to keep that kid alive, fighting his mother for permission to save his brother from contracting the same disease, not to mention facing Charlotte's wrath for sending the CDC in her direction…"

"Well, she's the one who's so keen on advertising that coffee bar of theirs…" Violet shrugs.

"_Right_?" Cooper throws out his arm to underline his point, "All day I've been hearing about how all this is my fault, like I'm the one pushing them to visit the fourth floor on the way up, or telling my patients not to vaccinate…"

"You really need to just ignore Sam on that one," Violet points out, "It's not like we can turn away a child because we happen to disagree with their parents. That would be like neglect on our part. A child deserves treatment regardless of who their parents are or what they think…"

"_Thank you_," Cooper sighs.

"And if it helps, _yes_, I _do _plan on vaccinating the bug," Violet smiles.

"Good," Cooper gives a solemn nod, "Witnessing one family tragedy was bad enough, don't think I could take another one, especially not one involving my niece or nephew…"

"Niece _or_ nephew?" Violet asks, "Not so certain about the sex today?"

"I like to keep my options open," Cooper replies with a wink.

* * *

><p>Violet makes a disgruntled groan as she jolts awake, following up with another one when she notices the time. Confused at first at why she would wake up so suddenly at nearly three in the morning, she's answered when a limb of some sort hits her bottom rib… from within. It's not the first time she's felt the bug move, but it's the first time that alone has been enough to wake her.<p>

Resting one hand at the top of her stomach, the other one lying flat across the bottom, she waits… She looks over at Pete's sleeping form. Sometimes, when she wakes up before him, she'll feel his hand on her stomach. Although he hasn't said anything, Violet can tell he's dying to feel the baby kick, like any expectant dad. Not that she can blame him, as ever since she first felt a flutter of activity, this feeling of excitement has been building up within her… mixed, of course, with a heavy dose of fear and uncertainty.

Sometimes there will be a moment where she believes she can do this; have a baby, become a mother; a moment when she isn't filled with paralyzing fear, when the task ahead of her doesn't seem so daunting. It only lasts for a minute or two before reality catches up with her, and she remembers all the things that could go wrong, the mistakes she very well could make. True, most new mothers don't develop post partum depression, and the chance of giving birth to a sociopath is minimal at best… but still, it always happens to someone, so why not her? Good things rarely come her way without serious baggage in toll, so she's learned to always expect the other shoe to drop…

A movement in the lower region of her stomach distracts her from her trail of thoughts. Distinctively feeling something press against her hand, she reaches over to the man next to her, "Pete," she whispers, lightly shaking his shoulder.

At first he grunts and pushes her hand away. At her second attempt he opens his eyes halfway and gives her a tired and confused look, "Wt'sit'vi?" he mumbles groggily, his syllables bleeding into one another, making it almost impossible to hear what he's trying to say.

Rather than answering him, Violet grabs his nearest hand, twists it into an awkward position so she can place it onto her stomach, right over the spot where she last felt movement. She waits… A minute passes… then two, then three, and no movement. She should have guessed it wouldn't be so simple. Given her luck, the bug is probably back to sleep now that _operation wake mommy_ has been deemed successful. She opens her mouth to apologize, but sees that Pete is already halfway asleep.

Feeling herself slowly drifting off, Violet has all but succumbed to sleep when she feels another kick, this time Pete jolts awake as well, "Was that?" he asks, his voice still somewhat groggy.

"It's kicking," Violet confirms, mirroring the smile slowly spreading across Pete's lips.

The smile widens to a huge grin when the bug delivers another kick and Pete gives a small laugh in excitement, "It's happening," he says happily.

Although it's not the first time Violet's felt the bug move, the sheer excitement she sees in Pete's eyes is enough to momentarily erase all her fears. For the moment she can only feel excitement. He leans in and his lips meet hers in what can only be described as a tender, loving kiss, his hands caressing the swell of her belly the whole time, and Violet realizes; any hope she had of protecting her heart is long gone. She's in love with this man.


	17. What are you gonna do?

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long, but I've been swamped with work and will be for the rest of the month as well. Will try to get some writing done, but I can't guarantee anything at this point. But please enjoy this chapter. Less than 3 weeks left until season 5, how 'bout that promo... As always, many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. For everyone else; enjoy and let me know what you think ;)

* * *

><p>Violet mentally curses herself for leaving her cell phone behind at the office, forcing her to stop by Oceanside, rather than just taking the direct route home from the hospital. She's been on her feet all day the last couple of days. Between counseling her closeted elderly patient into finally coming out to her son and helping to deliver the most heartbreaking news to a single father she's absolutely exhausted.<p>

Seeing Pete waiting for her puts a small smile on her face. Her thoughts drift to her patient, who was forced to lead a double-life in order to give her child the family he deserved and be with the person she loved. Violet realizes how lucky she is that the man she loves also _is _the father of her child; not that it makes matters any less scary. The other woman may have had to hide an important detail about herself to the people closest to her, but she still managed to remain true to herself, going after her desires and leading a relatively full life. She had her husband and child, as well as the woman she loved right there with her. Violet, on the other hand, is too scared to try figuring out what really is real and what only feels real right now. That's why she keeps shielding her heart, why she keeps her feelings to herself.

Pete's eyes are pained, "Darren gave up on his son," he tells her with a sigh, "He just… walked away from him…"

She can almost feel his gaze dropping to her protruding stomach, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's putting himself in Darren's position, wondering what choice he would've made himself.

"Well, it was an impossible choice to make," she reminds him, "It's hard to fault him…" Plopping next to him on the couch, she immediately feels his arm close around her.

Pete sighs, "He left a _two year old_ boy alone in the world… no mother, no father… no family to take care of him. Julian is going to grow up in the system, knowing his father gave up on him…"

"The alternative would mean letting a nine year old girl die alone," Violet points out, "It's human… natural… to react to what's right in front of us. All Darren saw was Gracie dying without him, the idea of his little boy having to bury him and live on without him; it was just too abstract…"

"Yeah, I know…" Pete nods, his free hand travels across the curve of her stomach seeking hers, their fingers eventually interlocking, "Welcome to parenthood…" he half-chuckles.

There's a lump forming in her throat at the mere mention of the word. She's reached a point where the bug doesn't scare her so much anymore; in fact she's beginning to really enjoy feeling the signs of life coming from within her. The thought of becoming a parent, however, that still renders her paralyzed with fear… "Oh crap," she sighs with a slight smile.

* * *

><p>It's an early Tuesday morning and Violet is leaving the kitchen with a fresh mug of tea when she stops and closes her eyes as a burning sensation hits the back of her throat and upper chest.<p>

"You okay?" Naomi asks with a concerned frown.

"Heartburn," Violet explains, referring to her latest treat from the pregnancy goodie bag.

"Ah," Naomi nods in understanding, "I had a lot of that with Maya, especially towards the end. You want me to get you some Pepto Bismol?"

"No, that's okay," Violet shakes her head, holding up her mug, "Pete has me trying out this tea remedy of his; chamomile, fennel and peppermint… not my favorite, but it does the trick… well, more or less," she shrugs with a hint of a smile. Noticing the sudden goofy grin on Naomi's face she asks; "What?"

"Nothing, it's just," Naomi shrugs, "I can't remember the last time I saw you so calm and content, I mean, you're… glowing…"

"That's the pregnancy," Violet insists, unable to keep a smile off her face.

"Some of it, yes," Naomi agrees, "But it's more than that. I was convincing myself it was the calm before _Hurricane Pete_," referring to Pete's old habit of screwing up his relationships, "but I honestly can't remember seeing either one of you this happy before. So this time I'm happy to say I was wrong."

Violet opens her mouth to reply, but is distracted when she sees her pensive best friend walking out of the elevator, his eyes quickly scanning the room. Stiffly approaching her, Cooper throws out a quick 'hello' to Naomi before turning to Violet, quietly muttering; "I, ah, need to talk to you…"

Naomi nods in understanding as Cooper halfway pulls Violet into her own office and wastes no time getting to business; "So, this morning… Charlotte and I were having sex, lots and lots of sex…"

"Do I need to be hearing about this?" Violet quips, earning herself an annoyed glare from her best friend, "Sorry," she chuckles.

"So, we were having _quality naked time_ together," Cooper continues, "Like we've been doing a lot ever since coming back from Monroeville…"

"Sounds like things are finally good between you two," Violet comments, happy for her friend, but at the same time intrigued about what has Cooper so urgently seeking her advice.

"Yeah, almost _too_ good," Cooper sighs, "She… ah… she asked me to marry her…"

Violet's eyes widen in surprise, "_What_?"

Cooper mirrors her look of disbelief, "Charlotte _proposed_…" he emphasizes.

"Wow…" Violet chuckles, "So, what are you gonna do?"

Cooper throws up both arms and plops down on the couch right next to her, "You tell me… is it _too_ fast? It's too fast, right?"

"It's… ah… sudden," Violet tentatively agrees, "How do you feel about it?"

Cooper shrugs and shakes his head, "I love her, Vi, I really do… I want to make her happy, and yeah… down the line I could see us walking down the aisle… But this feels… impulsive… _scary_ impulsive, the kind that could seriously go bad if we're not careful…"

"Well, you have to consider where this is coming from," Violet points out, "She just lost her father. She's hurting, and she doesn't want to hurt, and this, marrying you, will make that hurt go away."

Cooper frowns, "So, what you're saying is that she doesn't really want to marry me, it's all just a reaction to the grief…"

Violet shakes her head, "I'm saying, you'd be best to wait a while, see where your hearts are at once things get back to normal…"

"I guess that sounds sensible," Cooper shrugs, his gaze dropping to her stomach. "How's the bug doing?" he asks.

"Kicking up a storm and giving me heartburn," Violet replies, rubbing her stomach.

"So, right on schedule, then," Cooper quips, "You've decided whether you're gonna find out if it's a boy or girl?"

Violet shrugs, "Pete's coming to the next ultrasound with me."

"Does _he_ wanna know?"

"We haven't really talked about it. I think he might be leaving it up to me, he hasn't brought it up, at least…"

The truth is, neither one of them have initiated any conversations regarding things like finding out the sex or discussing possible baby names, nor has there been any talk about fixing up the nursery or doing any other kind of prep-work for when they're going to be parents. It's amazing how little Pete has pushed when it comes to her pregnancy, even announcing he wants to come along to her next ultrasound was done very casually; asking her when her next appointment was, and letting her know he'd clear his schedule.

"What do you think we should do?" she asks, "Like, what would you want?"

"I don't know," Cooper shrugs, earning himself a laugh and a punch in the shoulder from his best friend, "_Ow_, okay, okay… on one hand, knowing is good. You can decide on a name, settle the whole pink versus blue…"

"Oh, there is no way I'm doing a gender specific nursery," Violet interrupts, shaking her head, "I don't care what Pete says, the feminist in me just wouldn't allow it."

"Okay, so nixing the pink and blue," Cooper laughs, "Not finding out would be a cool way to go, too. You know, build up the anticipation… You could still do everything else, only keep your options open about the name… It all boils down to what you want…"


End file.
